All My Dreams Fulfilled
by AthenaRavenclaw13
Summary: Lily Smith isn't your typical Greaser girl. She wears decent clothes and doesn't drink or smoke. After Lily has skips a grade in school, she falls in love with Ponyboy Curtis and becomes part of the gang, following them through tragedy and joy. The road to happiness is a bumpy one, but always worth it in the end. Part Two of the "Love Me Tender" series.
1. Chapter 1

It was spring in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which meant rain. Lots of rain.

"C'mon, Pony!" I yelled to my boyfriend. "You gotta run faster or you'll be soaked!"

"Don't you think I know that?" he laughed, holding his backpack above his head.

The two of us had been walking home from school when, seemingly out of nowhere, it had started to downpour. Ponyboy had quickly handed me his jean jacket that he had had slung over his arm to hold above my head (much to my protest) and we both started to run. We usually walked to my house and he dropped me off, but in the particular situation we were in, we had decided that it would be a better idea to go to his house since it was closer.

"You can run faster than that!" I taunted as I ran a good 20 feet in front of him. "You're on the track team, for Pete's sake!"

"There're too many puddles and I don't wanna slip", he argued. I could hear the wet slaps of his shoes against the rain-clogged sidewalk as he caught up to me.

"And I do?" I cocked an eyebrow at him before readjusting my backpack strap on my shoulder.

We both kept running until we reached the Curtis house, bursting through the front door and getting some towels to wipe our feet off on and dry ourselves with.

Pony's greased-up hair had fallen limp from the precipitation and when he rubbed it with the towel, it stuck up in every direction, making me laugh.

"And what exactly is oh-so funny?" Pony questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"Just go in the bathroom and look in the mirror. You'll see for yourself", I chuckled, wiping down my arms.

After a moment, I heard a triumphant "Yes!" make its way through the house. Wondering what could be so exciting about Ponyboy's Einsteinesque hair-do, I made my way into the bathroom to see my boyfriend jumping up and down in jubilation.

"Everything good in here?" I asked hesitantly.

Pony turned to look at me before excitedly nodding his head. He practically ran over to me and held my shoulders.

"Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!", he exclaimed so rapidly that it all sounded like one word. He reminded me of a little kid.

I laughed at his excitement and put my hands on his shoulders to get him to stop jumping. "What? What happened?"

"Darlin', there's hair on my face! There is hair. _On. My. Face_."

I started hysterically laughing at his enthusiasm and almost disbelief in the fact that he was growing facial hair.

"Congratulations", I wheezed out between laughs. I leaned up and kissed Pony on the cheek.

He started doing a little dance, making me laugh even harder before pulling me out of the bathroom, along with him and jigging me around the living room. One of each of our hands were clasped together and his other one was wrapped tightly around my waist, covering one hipbone to the other. My arm was securely latched around his neck as he swung me around and my head was buried into his shoulder as I laughed.

It took a few minutes, but we eventually calmed down. As I wiped tears from my eyes I finally spoke.

"You know, I could've told you that you needed a shave, honey. You've been prickly for the past few days."

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" he exclaimed.

"I wanted you to figure it out for yourself", I chuckled, grabbing my backpack from the front door and bringing it into Pony and Soda's room.

"What're you doin'?" Pony asked from the doorway.

I shrugged. "If we're here we might as well get some homework done."

"This is what I get for havin' a smart gal as a girlfriend… Doin' homework on a Friday…", he sighed, but I knew he was kidding.

"Might I remind you that you skipped a grade like I did?" I shot back with a smirk.

"Fair point", Pony relented, going into the kitchen and grabbing his backpack before joining me in his room.

"What do you think they'll do about work?" I questioned. We both had work that day, me at the bookstore and him at the DX with Steve and Soda.

"I dunno about us, but I think that Darry'll be gettin' outta work soon."

"And why's that?"

"You do much roofing in the rain", he pointed out, smirking a little at me as he grabbed something off of his desk.

"I suppose", I said.

"Maybe we can get him to drive us to work", Pony suggested.

"I wouldn't wanna be a bother."

"You're not trouble and besides, if he gets pissed, I'll just say it was my idea, which it was."

"If you say so…", I trailed off, taking a textbook out of my bag.

Occupying myself with my history assignment, I barely even noticed Ponyboy go into the kitchen and turn on the radio. It was as though I was in my own little bubble of concentration and frustration at the fact that I didn't really care about General Sherman's march to the sea and that our book (of course) didn't have enough information on that particular subject.

When history was done I came out of my bubble to find Pony's pencil scratching on a piece of paper as he hummed along to "I'm a Believer" by The Monkees.

I started to hum along with him and grabbed a book for another subject.

When he noticed me humming along with him, he looked at me and gave me a small smile.

"What're you doing, anyway?" I questioned.

"I'm doin' that art project", he said.

The project required us to draw people who were important to us. There wasn't a limit on the number, but Ms. Thompson had said that 2 or more people would be preferable. Then we had to write a few sentences about why they were important to us. I was a pretty bad drawer, so I had been postponing doing the project since it had been assigned a few days before. Luckily, it wasn't due until after Spring Break.

"How's it goin'?"

"Pretty well."

"Who're you drawing?" I inquired, starting to take notes.

"Who do you think I'm drawing?" he asked.

"I dunno…Are you copying a picture of someone?"

"No", he laughed, "I'm drawing someone who happens to be sitting right next to me."

At this, I brought my head up to look at him, arching an eyebrow.

"You're drawing me?"

"Well, you're the only one that's sitting next to me", Pony laughed a little, grabbing a package of colored pencils.

I had seen some of Pony's drawings before and they were incredible. One that had really caught my attention was a pencil sketch of Dally. He was in the midst of one of his many angry moments, eyes hardened and body tense. You could see his icy blue eyes blazing even without them being colored in. I had seen him in that mood and all I could think of while looking at the drawing was when Pony, Two-Bit, and I visited Dally in the hospital before the rumble.

"Have you gotten very far?" I questioned.

"I already drew most of the outline, but I still have to do the details, so turn back to where you were and stay there", he said the last part jokingly, pretending to be stern.

"Yessir", I saluted and bent back over my notebook.

Pony snorted and went back to drawing. I soon became immersed in my bubble again, focusing on my work. Those questions were soon done too.

I sat up, cracking my back, knuckles, arms, and pelvic joint. My mom would have thrown a fit if she had been there. Especially since I was wearing a dress.

"Are you alright?" Pony asked, stopping his scribbling.

"Yeah", I answered, "why wouldn't I be?"

"Because a concerning number of cracks and pops just came from you."

I shrugged. "I was just stretching. When you're a dancer everything cracks. You should hear ballet class when we all go down into grand pliés. Just everyone's joints popping."

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion, but he just shook his eyes with a small smile playing on his lips.

Just then, the front door opened and the sound of Darry's work boots was heard.

Pony and I walked out of his room to greet Darry, who had just taken off his shoes and was drying off with one of the towels Pony had left by the door.

"Hey, Dar", Pony started, "how was work?"

"It was just fine 'til that damn downpour started. It was bright and sunny and just like that", he snapped his fingers for emphasis, "it was rainin' cats and dogs. I held out there for longer than any of the other guys, but then the boss had to tell me to go."

"Darry", Pony started again, "I wanted to know if you could drive me and Lily to work. Or I could do it if you can't."

Darry looked confused for a second before remembering that Ponyboy knew how to drive.

"But what if the fuzz catches you drivin' without a license?"

"Dar, d'you really think the fuzz is gonna care about me driving around? And besides, I'm over fifteen-and-a-half, which means that I can get my permit."

"But you don't have your learner's permit, Pony. You need to get tested for that."

"Then what would you suggest?" Pony asked with a sigh.

"Why don't we call up Two-Bit and ask him for a ride?"

"He went out on a date with Rachel", I explained. "If he hadn't went straight from school would've asked him for a ride instead of walking."

Darry sighed again. "Alright then, kids, I'll drive y'all."

"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" I questioned hesitantly.

"Don't worry 'bout it, doll. It's no trouble at all."

I went back into Soda and Pony's room, shoving all my things back into my backpack. Pony walked in as I was doing this and grabbed his DX shirt from where it had been thrown over a bedpost. As we exited the room, Darry was putting a pair of worn-out Converse on that I had seen him wear before when the gang played football.

The three of us ran to Darry's truck and got in, me in the passenger's seat since I was being dropped of first. While we drove I fiddled with the sleeves of my sweater. After Angela and her gang had jumped me last summer I had started to prefer wearing longer sleeves to hide the scars on my arms. Only the gang, my family, and Ashlynn had seen my scars and they all knew not to mention them because of my self-consciousness. I had been wearing sweaters and sweatshirts in public, never exposing my arms. I didn't know what I would do during the summer when it was too hot to wear sleeves and when I might have to wear a bathing suit (I couldn't stand one-pieces, so bikinis were the only option), which also showed the huge scar that cut across my midriff.

"Darry, guess what happened today", Pony encouraged for an answer from the back seat.

"What happened, Little Colt?"

Darry's eyes flicked to look at Pony through the rearview mirror as he spoke then training them back on the road.

"I've got stubble, Dar."

Darry's eyes narrowed a little in confusion before widening in realization. He looked into the rearview mirror again.

"Really? You do?"

"Yep", Pony confirmed proudly, sitting up a little straighter in his seat.

"He's had it for the past few days", I laughed. "I just decided to let him figure it out on his own."

"Congratulations, Pony", Darry told him as a smile crept its way onto his face. "I'll teach you how to shave after you get back from work. Soda'll flip when you tell 'im."

"Yeah…", Pony smiled. Then he got a far away look in his eyes.

"Honey, you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah", Pony said again, though this time as a sigh. "It's…It's just…", he let out a breath, "I wish Dad were here."

I turned around in my seat to face Pony and grabbed his hand in mine.

"Y'know, Pone", Darry started, "he would'a loved to be here to see. you start shavin'. You're turnin' into a real man. A good man. You got yourself a gal, and a good one at that. Dad and Mom would be proud."

"You think so?"

"I know so", Darry answered with a sad smile.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Pony told me in the days that followed how much the gang teased him about his newfound facial hair. I couldn't help but find it amusing when I came over to his house during Spring Break and found him shaving in the bathroom with little pieces of toilet paper stuck to the places on his face where he had already succeeded in nicking himself with the razor.

"Hey, my big man", I greeted teasingly, leaning on the bathroom doorway.

"Hey, darlin'. How're you doin'?" he asked as he put the razor down on the sink counter and walking over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pecking me on the lips.

"Good. And you?" I questioned, wrapping my arms around his waist as well and looking up at him.

"Good", Pony answered. He then dipped a finger in the shaving cream on his face and dotting it on my nose.

I arched an eyebrow.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes, yes it was."

He pecked my lips again before going over to the sink and continuing his shaving escapade.

"How's that drawing going?" I asked as I wiped the shaving cream off my nose.

"I finished it on Saturday", he responded, running the razor carefully along his jaw in an attempt to avoid any further injury. "You can go look if you want. It's on my desk."

I took advantage of his offer and went into his and Soda's room, picking the sketchpad off of the desk.

The drawing was amazing. It was drawn while I was in my little bubble. I was sitting cross-legged on Pony's bed and kind of hunched over the books on my lap. All the details that could have possibly been in the picture were there from the shorter pieces of hair tucked behind my ears to the folds in my dress to my ponytail (my mom had cut my hair again a few days previous by a few inches) to my necklace and ring. Places that had shadows were shaded and I was colored in. A head-on view of my face wasn't visible, but most of it could be seen.

"Whaddya think?"

I jumped about a foot in the air and gasped in surprise at Pony's sudden voice. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"You're face feels much better when it's not prickly", I commented as he nuzzled his face into my neck. Luckily, he had taken the little bits of toilet paper off his face.

"Thanks", he laughed. "So, what do you think about the drawing?"

"It's incredible, honey", I said.

Turning my head to look at him, I saw his cheeks and ears turning red at the praise.

"Thanks, darlin' ", Pony responded shyly.

Shaking my head and smiling a little at his sudden timidity I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"C'mon, Horseman", I teased, "I need to draw you too."

I had brought my drawing materials in a small bag, though I hadn't just come over to the Curtis house to draw Pony. I had kind of hoped that I would be able to do some of the project whole I was there, though.

 _This should go well_ , I thought to myself sarcastically.

We sat on the couch and my exhausted attempts at drawing an actual human-being began.

It only took about 5 minutes for me to get insanely frustrated. Nothing was symmetrical nor proportional and everything was misshapen.

"UGHHH!" I groaned loudly and fell over, burying my head in the couch cushions. "This damn thing is hopeless!"

I could hear Pony laugh at me.

"You've barely even started, Lily", he argued.

"Don't you even try making me keep on doing this, Ponyboy Michael", I chastised with my head still firmly planted in the couch.

"Oh no, she's bringin' out the middle name", Pony said.

I simply didn't answer to him.

"Darlin', I would suggest you get your face outta there."

"And why's that?"

"You don't know what kinda things have happened on that couch."

I immediately shot up and glared at him.

He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. I give."

"How the hell do you do this?" I asked, more rhetorically than not. I propped my left elbow up onto the back of the couch and leaned my head on my hand.

"Do you want some help?"

"No", I insisted. "I'm gonna do this."

I picked up my pencil and drawing pad again from the coffee table where I had thrown them in the midst of my frustration and took a deep breath before further trying to draw my boyfriend.

I continued like this for an hour. These 60 minutes included much scribbling and erasing and some swearing. But by the end of it, I had a passible drawing that, in my opinion, was only mediocre.

"Done", I sighed loudly as I dropped my pad and pencil onto the ground, letting myself fall back onto Pony's lap.

"This damn project…", I muttered, covering my face with my hands.

Ponyboy gently grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands from my face. Looking up, i was greeted with a sympathetic smile.

"I know it sucks, Princess, but you're doin' great."

I gave him a long, disbelieving stare.

"Just think, that's one less picture to draw. How many do you have left?"

I counted on my fingers before sharing my answer with him. "I don't know."

He snorted a bit. "How don't you know?"

"Well, I already did my parents and Anna and Henry, but I still have to do the gang and that would be easier if I could copy a picture, but I don't know anymore…Just…just let me have my existential crisis."

"Up ya go", Pony lifted me off the couch and onto my feet.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"You need a break, Lily."  
"Okay? And just how are you planning on making me take a break?"

"Like this."

And with that, Pony walked into the kitchen and turned on the radio before coming back over to me.

I smirked at him. "We're dancing?"

"Yes we are", he confirmed.

"Okay y'all", the radio announcer started. "You might remember this one from way back in the fifties. It's ' _Love Is Strange_ ' by Mickey and Sylvia."

The familiar guitar riff started and Pony took my hands and proceeded to waltz me around the living room.

"Love, love is strange.

Lot of people take it for gain.

Once you get it, you never wanna quit.

After you've had it, you're in an awful fix…"

I couldn't help but laugh. Here we were, waltzing around the Curtis' living room to a song that was most certainly not a waltz. I was channeling Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with my loose-fitting sweatshirt and jeans, except with Converse instead of flats and my hair in a messy bun instead of tied back with a cloth. I also had my necklace and ring on. Pony was in a t-shirt, jeans and socks with his hair ungreased.

Suddenly, Pony stopped waltzing with me and just did pulled, pushed and pulled my arms as a dance and sang along with the song.

"Sylvia…"

I laughed and then played along, "Yes, Mickey?"

"How do you call your lover-boy?"

"C'mere, lover-boy!"

"And if he doesn't answer?"

"Oh, lover-boy!"

"And if he _still_ doesn't answer?".

"I simply say: baby… oh, baby. My sweet baby, you're the one", I sang.

"Baby…oh, baby. My sweet baby, you're the one", we sang together, Pony releasing my hands to pretend to play guitar along with the music.

He looked down at me with a grin before kissing me. I smiled into the kiss, holding his face as he held my hips.

After a minute we broke apart and Pony led me back to the couch.

"Okay, break time's over", he told me.

"Fine", I relinquished, "but we're keeping the radio on."

"Whatever helps you during your 'existential crisis', darlin' ", he laughed.

"Can I use a picture of the gang to copy?" I asked.

"Sure, just lemme grab one", Pony answered as he went into his and Soda's room, coming back out with the framed photograph that Soda had given him for his birthday.

Drawing off of the picture was much easier for me and I got much less frustrated while doing it. After I drew that picture I colored it in carefully with colored pencils before doing the same to the drawing of Ponyboy while we talked about the strangest and most random things the entire time.

By the time I was done with all that it was noon. I wished I could have stayed, but Pony and I both had 12:30 shifts at our jobs and didn't want to be late. I had to leave before Pony did since my job was downtown and therefore took longer to get to (especially since I was walking).

I shouldered my bag, which I had taken off before I had started drawing, and gave Pony a hug at the front door. I would just do the writing portion of the project at work since it wasn't usually very busy.

"I love you, honey", I told him as I gave him a kiss.

"I love you too", he responded. "And I always will."

As I walked to my job I thought about something my dance teacher, Madame Evelyn, had suggested a few days before when I had last gone to class.

Her offer was that on Friday nights and Saturday mornings in the next year I would co-teach ballet to the little toddlers along with a senior and her. I would get paid for the job too; $1.50 an hour. That was a whole 10 cents more than what I was getting paid at the bookstore. I would still be keeping my job at the book store, obviously, but I would need to change around my schedule.

At that point I worked at the bookstore Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:30 to 7:00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 6:30. Some weekdays when I didn't have school, I worked the times that I usually did on the weekends. I would have to take a later shift on Saturdays and not work Fridays, which I felt like my boss, Mrs. Brown, would be alright with. She was a kind middle-class woman in her seventies whose husband (who she had started the bookstore with) had died about 5 years before.

If my parents said that I could I would take the job in Fridays and Saturdays, though it would make me quite a bit busier. But the harder I worked the more money I could save up for college and my future.

Even the twins had jobs to a certain degree. Henry was a paperboy on Sunday mornings and rode around the middle-class neighborhood on his bike, chucking newspapers at people's doorways. Anna babysat the kids that I used to before I got my job at the bookstore.

They were almost twelve and I did not at all find that okay. Not in the slightest. I felt old, especially for a kid my age. Though, I suppose that's what happens to every kid on the East-side of Tulsa: you have to grow up fast and older than you really are.

 **OH MY GOD I'M SUCH A TERRIBLE PERSON. Believe me, I had absolutely no intention to keep you guys waiting for over a month and I'm really sorry. The end of the school year was just too hectic to get any writing done and when I finally had time I either had writer's block or didn't like what I had written and changed it. Since it's Summer Break now I'll definitely be writing more, so stay tuned for that. All rights to "Love is Strange" belong to Mickey and Sylvia and, yes, I did base that part off of the scene from "Dirty Dancing" (I love that movie). I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	2. Chapter 2

At work that day, Ashlynn came in like I had asked her to and I drew a picture of her, colored it in, and wrote about everyone I had drawn.

After consulting my parents and Mrs. Brown, it was agreed that I could take up Madame Evelyn's offer on co-teaching the little kids next year.

That Monday was the first day back to school after Spring Break. Pony and I handed in our drawing projects and I gave Madame Evelyn my answer later that day when I went to dance.

"Oh, that's just wonderful, Miss Smith", she told me, taking my hand and patting it reassuringly. "You'll be a darling teacher for the little ones, I can just tell."

"Thank you, Madame", I said as I curtsied and went to pack up my dance bag.

Madame Evelyn was a Southern-belle in her fifties who called all the dancers by their last names, but tacked the "Miss" on with it. She had been a professional dancer for years before settling down and becoming a ballet mistress and tap and ballroom dancing instructor. She was like a grandmother to all the dancers, regardless of whether they were a Soc or greaser.

"Are you excited to teach the little kids?" Ashlynn asked me on our walk home. I was always dropped off first.

"Really excited. I feel like this is practice for when I'm older and an actual teacher."

"I'm excited for you", she told me and stayed silent for a moment before seemingly remembering something. "Lily!"

"What!" I exclaimed teasingly, mocking her tone.

"I got a job!"

"That's great! Where?"

"The diner downtown as a waitress."

"That's where Two-Bit's sister works."

"No kidding? Huh, I'll have to ask about her."

"When're you working?"

The two of us discussed the times that we would be getting off each day and talked about walking home together when we got off. It would be less lonely and safer for us to walk together.

After the rumble about a year-and-a-half before the Socs had been jumping the greasers less, but that didn't mean that they had stopped completely. They were definitely more cautious about going into greaser territory and jumping the greasers there. But if you were walking alone downtown or on the wrong side of town, you were free game.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Times were changing; that much was obvious.

Nothing else was ever on the news but stories on the war. Boys from both the East and West side were being drafted to Vietnam left and right and it scared the hell out of everyone, especially the gang. We couldn't lose another person. Not after Dally and Johnny. Sodapop, Steve, and Two-Bit were all eligible for the draft since they were all over 18. Darry would have been eligible, but wasn't since Pony was his dependent.

There were many protests against the draft and the war. People marched through the streets of almost every town and city the America, chanting as loud as their voices would allow and held up picket signs with slogans like "Resist the Draft" and "Don't Register".

Ashlynn was always terrified of getting Soda taken away, along with Rachel and Evie with Two-Bit and Steve. I was absolutely terrified of any of them getting drafted too, yet in the back of my mind, I was so thankful that Ponyboy and Henry weren't of age to be drafted yet. Pony was creeping ever closer to 18-years-old, though and if the war didn't end by then, I didn't know how I would soothe my constant anxiety.

There was also the Civil-Rights movement that had taken the country by storm. The amount of protests that brought on police brutality was jaw-dropping and things were constantly taken to the extreme. I hoped that Dr. King's message would spread soon because I couldn't stand the prejudice against African-Americans any longer. Many places in Tulsa were still segregated. Even the bathrooms.

The constant threat of the Soviets dropping a nuclear bomb was always present as well. We had drills every few months at school where an alarm would sound and we had to crawl under our desks and cover our heads. Since Pony and I always sat next to each other, we only used one hand to cover ourselves and held the other's hand with our free one. We weren't stupid. We knew that if an atomic bomb dropped near us, we were going to die, so we might as well comfort the other if it were to happen. And even during the drills, I always came close to having an anxiety attack. My heart leaped into my throat, my stomach dropped, and I wanted to start crying. Sometimes I even started shaking. Pony grasping my hand tightly, which calmed me down a bit. When the alarms turned off and we could sit back down in our seats, he always gave me a tight hug and whispered some comforting words in my ear before we had to sit again.

Towards the end of the school year we had a drill and I wasn't very calm. Pony and I crouched under the desks and I grabbed his hand tightly, intertwining our fingers. I was trying to take deep, calming breaths, but it wasn't working as well as it usually did.

"Lily", Pony whispered. "Look at me."

I turned my head in his direction, my forehead never leaving the floor.

"It's fine", he assured me. "We're fine. Nothing's gonna happen, baby. It's just a drill."

"I know", I whimpered quietly, "but I-I'm scared."

He slid closer to me and moved his hand from mine, wrapping it around my shoulders.

"I'm right here, darlin'. You're gonna be fine. Nothing's gonna hurt you while I'm here. Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"Now breathe with me, alright? In and out…in and out…"

We kept on like this for a minute until my breathing was back to normal.

"Better?"

I nodded again, holding the hand of the arm around my shoulder in my free hand.

He picked his head up from the floor and gave the side of my head a kiss before pulling it back down.

A few minutes later, the drill ended and we stood up. Some people groaned as they stretched their backs out or complained about how stupid the drills were.

Pony and I didn't talk as we stood up, him first, then me with his help. My hands were still quivering as he pulled me close and I buried my head into his neck with my arms around his middle. One of his hands rested on the back of my head while the other was wrapped around my waist.

"See?" Pony comforted. "Everything's okay. We're all fine. No one's hurt."

I nodded into his neck, knowing that what he was saying was true.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, honey", I told him, moving my head from his neck and looking up at him.

I gave him a quick kiss before we sat back down and Mr. Jacobs carried on with his algebra lesson.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Something about late spring and summer in Oklahoma that I wasn't too fond of was the heat.

One day in May, the weather reports called for an 85 degree high, so I wore the coolest thing that I could without showing the scars on my arms: a dress and an unbuttoned sweater. I had on my Converse and put my hair in a bun with my necklace and ring per usual.

As Pony and I walked to school, we passed stores with thermometers in their windows which already read 75 degrees and the humidity wasn't helping.

The heat only got worse as the day went on. I felt like I was melting and I desperately wanted to change into a t-shirt and shorts, though I felt bad for Pony, whose coolest allowed outfit was a t-shirt and jeans.

During lunch, my vision started to get a little blurry and I felt nauseous, but I just shook it off and told myself that it would soon pass and I would be fine. That wasn't the case.

During our next class, my blurry vision developed into a headache, which turned into a raging migraine. I felt like I was dying. By that point it was 88 degrees (not factoring in humidity).

Señora Williams was having us do some work in the book, which because of my spotty vision and blaring head, I couldn't read properly.

"You alright, darlin'?" Pony asked from next to me. I guess he had noticed me squinting as I tried to read and pulling the book closer to my face in an attempt to read the questions.

I forced a smile and nodded. My stomach suddenly started churning and I felt bile rise up my throat. My eyes widened and I didn't want to swallow.

Ponyboy immediately became concerned. "Lily, what's wrong?"

"Pony", I said weakly, "get me to the nurse."

"Why? What's wrong?"

" _Now_ ", I ordered.

He scrambled out of his seat and jogged over to the teacher.

"Lily needs to go to the nurse."

As he started out his sentence, I could tell that Señora Williams was about to chastise him for not speaking Spanish, but when she heard "nurse" her eyes widened.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but she told me that she needs the nurse _now_."

"Yes, yes, of course. Bring her down and make sure to grab a hall pass on your way out."

"Thank you", he breathed and came back over to me, helping me up. On our way out of the room he grabbed the hall pass and started pulling me down the hallway.

"I can't run", I told him.

"Why?" he asked, concerned.

"If I do, I'll vomit", I said bluntly. "And my head is already pounding."

Pony's eyes widened again.

"Umm…", he started and I could tell that he was trying to think of a solution to our problem. He seemed to think of something, but didn't like whatever it was. "I'm sorry."

I gave him a confused look, which quickly turned to panic as he picked me up bridal style in his arms and started sprinting down the hallway.

I would have told him that he better either put me down or get me to the nurse in the next 30 seconds, but I didn't trust myself to open my mouth without throwing up.

Luckily, we weren't stopped by any teachers and he got me to the nurse quickly.

When Ponyboy ran into the nurse's office with me in his arms, the nurse looked very confused, though, admittedly, I would have too. She had only started that year and neither of us had needed to come to her yet.

"What's going on here?" she asked, standing up from her desk.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, but she has a headache and she-", Pony started, but was cut off by me pushing myself out of his arms and launching myself at the trash can, where I emptied my stomach.

He dropped to his knees beside me and rubbed my back as I lost my lunch. I had started to cry because of how miserable I felt. My stomach convulsed and sucked in without my control, making me start to throw up again as I tried to take a few breaths.

"It's okay, darlin' ", he cooed, tucking some small strands of hair behind my ears.

I wanted to retort back, "That's easy for you to say", but when I opened my mouth to take a breath before speaking, I dry heaved again.

"I know", he told me. "It sucks. It'll be over soon and you can lie down."

The nurse had started to rush around, running to get me an ice-pack wrapped in a paper towel.

She put it on the back of my neck when I stopped throwing up and Pony kept it there, holding my head to his chest. I still hadn't stopped crying and the taste of vomit in my mouth wasn't helping my mood.

"What's your name, dear?" she questioned.

"Lily Smith", Pony answered for me.

"And your house's phone number, Lily?"

Pony answered for me again and when I looked up for a moment, the nurse was giving him strange look.

"And you are…?", the nurse started, waiting for Pony to finish.

"Ponyboy Curtis, ma'am."

"And why do you know all this girl's information?"

"I'm her boyfriend", he answered.

I had put my head down, but brought it up again to confirm his answer.

"Mm-Hmm", I hummed, not having the strength to speak.

Pony picked me up again and lay me on one of the nurse's couches.

The nurse was calling my house with the phone pressed against her cheek.

"Ponyboy, I think you should get back to class now", she told him.

"No", I finally spoke out of desperation, instantly loathing the pounding that it caused in my head. "Stay with me."

The nurse's face softened and she gave me a small smile.

"If she wants you, you can stay", she told Ponyboy.

"Thank you, ma'am", he said in relief.

After a minute the nurse sighed and put the phone back. "No one's answering, so we'll just have to wait and call back. Are you sure you don't want to go back to class, Ponyboy?"

He looked at me and back at her. "I'm sure."

She went into the next room, presumably to get something.

"Are you okay?" Pony asked.

I gave him a thumbs-down instead of risking shaking my head for fear that it would make the migraine worse. Tears were still dripping out of my eyes.

"What hurts?"

Moving my hand instead of speaking, I pointed to my head, then to my stomach.

He sat on the edge of the couch and took my hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing my knuckles softly before holding it with our palms pressed together and rubbing his thumb along the back of it. I smiled at him weakly in response.

The nurse came back in a few moments later.

"Do you think you can swallow anything, dear?"

Once again, I gave a thumbs-down.

She sighed and patted my arm.

"What do you think it is, Miss…", Pony started, waiting for her to fill in the blank.

"Mrs. Rhodes", she answered, "and I think it's dehydration. Lily, dear, have you had any water today?"

I curled all the fingers of my hand except for the index finger and the thumb, which I put close to each other, leaving a small space in between. _A little._

"And did you feel sick yesterday or this morning?"

Thumbs-down. _No._

"Can you give me your hand?"

Hesitantly, I gave her the hand that Pony wasn't holding. Then she pinched the back of my hand and let go.

"How long have you had the migraine?"

I held up two fingers and made the "P" sign in ASL. _Second Period._

"Second period?" she questioned almost incredulously.

Thumbs-up. _Yes._

"Glory, darlin'. Why didn't you tell me?" Pony questioned, pushing a piece of hair off of my face.

"…didn't wanna bother you", I answered in a whisper. "…thought it would go away."

"It's definitely dehydration", Mrs. Rhodes confirmed.

I felt exhausted, but I was scared that sleeping would only make me feel worse.

The ice pack had quickly become lukewarm and I needed a new one.

"Pony."

"What do you need, baby?" Pony asked.

"Ice pack", I muttered.

"You want another ice-pack?"

Thumbs-up. _Yes._

Mrs. Rhodes took my old ice pack and brought me a new one wrapped in a paper towel and placed it on my forehead.

"I'm gonna call your house again, Lily", she said, walking back to her desk.

This time my mom answered and I could hear snippets of the nurse's side of the conversation.

"Hello, Mrs. Smith, this is Mrs. Rhodes. I'm the nurse at Will Roger's… Yes, Lily seems to have been dehydrated. She has a migraine and threw up…Ponyboy Curtis brought her down here and is with her right now…Can you pick her up?… Who do you think I should call?…Okay, thank you, Mrs. Smith."

After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Rhodes walked back over to me and Ponyboy.

"Lily, is there anyone else you think I could call to pick you up?" I knew that Mom wouldn't be able to pick me up. We only had one car and my dad had driven it to work.

I cautiously opened my eyes to look at Pony.

"I could call my brother", he told her. "He's probably on lunch break right now."

She nodded and walked over to her desk, sitting down before gesturing to the phone a couple feet away from her on a table.

Pony walked over to the phone and dialed a number in before putting it to his ear. I heard a faint voice answering over the line.

"Hey, Chris, it's Ponyboy…Can I talk to Soda?… Hey, Soda, are you on lunch break?… Lily got sick at school and her mom can't come and pick her up. Can you?… Okay. See you soon. Bye."

Ponyboy turned to me. "Soda's gonna be over in a few minutes to pick you up, okay, darlin'?"

I nodded microscopically.

"I'll come by your house later and bring your stuff and the homework you missed", he told me as he sat back down on the couch.

"You have work", I argued softly. My head now only throbbed when I spoke.

"Princess, you're more important than work and it's not like I don't go in often. I'll be fine. It's not like you're going to work either."

I sighed and opened my eyes.

"Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, darlin'?"

"I love you."

He smiled sweetly. "I love you too. And I always will."

After a few minutes, Soda got to the school to pick me up.

"Hey, doll", he greeted. "How're you feeling?"

"Like crap", I answered honestly.

"D'you think you can walk?"

"I dunno", I said and slowly tried to stand up. My knees buckled and I started to sink to the ground.

"C'mon, baby", Pony said as he picked me up. "I gotcha."

"You sure you don't want me to carry 'er, Pone?" Soda questioned.

"I'm sure, Soda. I got her."

I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder as he carried me into the school parking lot, using my other arm to shield my face from the sun. The heat and humidity didn't help my misery much and I showed my distaste through a small whimper.

"I know, baby", Ponyboy cooed.

When we got to the car, Soda opened the passenger door and Pony gently placed me in the seat, buckling my seatbelt before kissing my temple.

"Remember, I'll be by later to check up on you and give you the homework you missed", he reminded me, giving my hand a slight squeeze. "I love you, darlin'."

"I love you too, honey", I told him, leaning up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Soda, take good care of her and give Darry a call to tell him that I'm going over to Lily's house after school."

"Got it, kid brother."

The ride to my house was quiet, which was strange since Soda was there. I could tell he wanted to talk, but was refraining from it because I didn't feel well, which I found sweet.

When we got to my house, my mom came rushing out of the door, asking me every question under the sun.

"Thank you, Sodapop, honey", she said after I waved her off, leaning up and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, it's no problem, ma'am. I was on my lunch break anyway and even if I wasn't, she's like my kid sister. I wouldn't be right not to help her."

Mom helped me out of the car and I gave Soda a chaste kiss on the cheek as well before I was led into the house where I brushed my teeth to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth, shakily dragged myself up to my room and stripped off my dress, changing into one of my dad's old, big t-shirts and not even bothering to put on any pants. I brushed out my hair and pulled it up into a quick bun and closed the curtains

After I got into my bed, my mom came upstairs with some toast, iced water, and a cold-water-soaked facecloth on a tray. A bedcover was draped over her arm. She placed the cloth on my forehead and handed me the glass of water, which I took a few hesitant sips of.

"You're not going to work today", she ordered as she put my blanket at the end of my bed and put the cool cover over my bare legs.

"Okay."

"You're not going to fight me on that?" Mom questioned, disbelief lacing her voice.

"I feel awful."

My mom pursed her lips a little and nodded. "Eat some toast. You need something in your stomach and you'll feel worse if you don't."

"I will", I assured her.

She sighed and kissed my forehead, going downstairs soon after.

I ate as much of the toast as I could stomach and drank most of my water before I lay down and fell asleep.

XxXxXxXxXx

A few hours later, I woke up to Pony lightly kissing my forehead. My tired eyes fluttered open to see his face, tinted pink from the heat and smiling gently.

"Hey", he whispered softly, pushing some hair behind my ear. "How're you feeling?"

I shrugged. "A little better. Still hot."

"Do you still have a migraine?"

It wasn't a migraine anymore. More of a dull throb.

"Not really", I answered.

"And your stomach?"

"I'm still feel a little nauseous."

"Do you want anything?" he questioned, taking my hand in his.

I thought for a minute. Honestly, I just wanted him more than anything.

I sat up in bed and opened up my arms. "Cuddles."

Pony chuckled, but complied, kicking off his Converse and climbing into my bed next to me. I only had the covers covering me, which I pulled up to let him in. My curtains had been opened, allowing sunlight to flood the room.

"You don't want any food or water or anything?" Pony smiled.

I shook my head. "Nope. Only you."

"Okay", he laughed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and hugging me close to him before laying down.

I snuggled into him and sighed quietly in contentment.

"Is this what you wanted?" Pony smiled.

I nodded, a grin forming on my face as well. "Yeah, you're cozy."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I missed you for the rest of the day", he told me.

"I missed you too."

"Did you already eat and drink something?"

"I had some toast and water when I got home."

"Princess, that was three hours ago. I think you should drink some more." He got up to leave once again, but I tightened my grip around his midsection.

"No", I argued. "You can get me whatever you want and do whatever work you want with me after we cuddle. Just stay here for a little longer."

Pony once again lay back down and held me close, kissing my forehead. We lay like that, in a comfortable silence. I once again fell asleep.

I woke up again about an hour later. My nausea had died down and my head wasn't aching as badly anymore.

"Have a nice nap?" I heard a soft voice ask. I jumped a little, forgetting that Pony was in the bed with me.

"Did I scare you?" he laughed lightly.

I nodded and looked up at his face.

"I'm gonna go get you something to eat and drink. You want anything in specific?"

"No, I don't really care."

He got up from the bed and padded downstairs while I stretched and brushed some hair out of my face. The next few minutes were spent yawning, rubbing my eyes and trying not to fall back asleep.

Ponyboy finally came back upstairs with a bowl and a glass.

"Whaddya got there?" I asked.

"A cup of water and some saltine crackers", he answered with a grin.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

The tray was set down on my lap and I yawned again before starting to eat a cracker. Pony sat back down next to me.

"How were Two-Bit and Steve the rest of the day?" I asked between sips of water.

"They were good. Worried 'bout you."

I smiled. As annoying as they could be, the gang was sweet.

"Two-Bit's goin' crazy since graduation is soon", Pony continued.

I had forgotten; Two-Bit was graduating at the end of the month. It would be weird to not have him at school anymore, quieter.

"I can imagine", I laughed.

"You want me to get out the homework while you eat?"

I shrugged. "Not really, but go ahead."

Pony dragged his backpack to the bed and leaned over, taking out the books of the subjects I had missed. Math and History. Whooptie-freaking-doo. There was also homework for Spanish and the lesson had to be explained to me again since I had been more occupied with my health during class.

Then he grabbed my backpack and plopped it on the bed. I stepped back for a second; I don't remember bring that home with me.

"Honey?" I asked to get his attention.

"Yeah, darlin'?"

"Where'd my backpack come from?"

"I brought it with me."

"I get that, but where'd you get it from?"

"Your locker", he answered in a 'this is obvious' tone.

"How'd you get into my locker?" I questioned.

"You gave me the combination in case I needed anything, remember? I gave mine to you too."

I thought for a moment before remembering. "Oh yeah."

He chuckled at me. "Did you think I broke into your locker?"

"Kinda. Yeah", I laughed.

Pony rolled his eyes at me. "You're hopeless."

"Love you too", I said with a smirk as I grabbed my History textbook and notebook, putting my tray on the floor.

He moved back over so he was sitting next to me again, our backs resting against the headboard.

"So", he started, "we had a pop quiz today."

"Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately."

I groaned and sunk down into my bed, trying to cover my head with the covers. Pony stopped me before I could, though.

"Jesus Christ, this woman…", I muttered, trailing off.

"Yeah", he agreed. "There were twenty questions. Some weren't even relevant to the Civil War itself."

"Of course they weren't!" I vented loudly, throwing my hands up in the air. "Why would they be? It's not like we're learning about the _Civil War_ or anything!" My voice was heavily laced with sarcasm.

Pony wrapped an arm around my shoulders reassuringly. "I know. She sucks."

I grunted. "Let's just start the studying."

Pony seemed to get that I wasn't in that great of a mood and just did as I said. Since we had studied together before, he knew what methods worked best with me. One of the said methods was asking me questions and having me answer them.

"How many children did Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln have?"

"Three."

"What did Abraham Lincoln's mother die of?"

"Milk sickness."

"How old was Fredrick Douglass when he escaped slavery?"

"How the hell would I know that? _Why_ the hell would I know that?"

"I dunno, darlin', but this stuff's on the quiz."

I sighed. "Keep going."

He continued to ask me both relevant and irrelevant questions about the Civil War and by the time he was done, I was just about fed up with Mrs. Pope and her ways.

"I never thought I would hear myself say this, but can we do math please?"

"I thought you'd never ask", Pony said, pulling his math things from out of his bag. He seemed just as done as I was. "Luckily, we didn't start anything new today."

"What _did_ we do?"

"Just some worksheets on the Pythagorean Theorem." He pulled out the worksheets in question as he talked and put them on my lap.

I was surprised that the Pythagorean Theorem was the subject of the papers since we had learned about it the year before.

"Love?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"I must sound really stupid, but which of the lines is the hypotenuse?"

"First of all, you could never sound stupid. You're the smartest person I've ever met. Second of all, it's the line across from the right angle."

I blushed at his compliment, my cheeks stained pink as I thanked him and looked down.

"Hey", he said, lifting up my chin, "don't look down. I can't see your beautiful face if you do."

If I was pink before, I was positively red at that. But, nevertheless, I raised my head and looked into Pony's face.

"It's crazy…", he muttered.

"What?" I questioned, tilting my head a bit.

"You're dehydrated and your hair's messy and you're in an old T-shirt, but you still look insanely gorgeous."

I continued to blush, it creeping up my cheeks and spreading all over my face.

"Well, I've seen you covered in soot and cuts and bruises, but you're still incredibly handsome to me", I smiled.

His ears turned red as he grinned shyly at me.

"You're too cute, you know that?" I asked.

"I could argue differently", he murmured as he leaned in closer to me.

"Is that so?" I whispered against his lips.

"Mm-Hmm", he hummed before kissing me.

His hands circled my waist and mine fell loosely around his neck. My mind went blank, all thoughts of Mrs. Pope's stupidity and my sickness from earlier melting away. The one thought that was still there, though faintly, was, _thank God I brushed my teeth earlier._

We sat there kissing for a few minutes before the front door busted open and the twins rushed up the stairs, barging into my room. Pony and I flung ourselves onto the bed, our chests heaving, our faces flushed, and our lips red and a little swollen.

Anna's eyes went wide when she walked into the room and Henry was heard behind her asking, "What? What's happening?"

"Umm…", Anna trailed off, looking at Pony and I with a slightly disturbed expression. "Is now not a good time? 'Cause I could go…"

I shook off my shock. "No, now's a fine time. Whaddya need?"

"You know what? I forgot." She turned around and shooed Henry away from my doorway. Henry shoved her away and looked into my room, seeing Pony and I and his eyes going as wide as Anna's had.

"Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, Henry?"

"Why're you in my sister's bed?"

Pony swallowed hard, though he never faltered in his answering. "She got sick at school today and went home, so I brought her the work she missed and came to visit."

Henry stood at the doorway and crossed his arms, going into "protective-brother-mode". "That doesn't explain why you're in the same bed."

"Because I feel crappy and I wanted to cuddle with my boyfriend. Is there a problem with that, Henry?" I asked and sat up straighter.

He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it and walked to his and Anna's room. Smart kid.

Anna looked in at us. "You two don't do anything, ya hear? I'm not becoming an aunt anytime soon. I'm not even twelve yet."

And with that, the door was closed.

Ponyboy and I looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

After a few minutes, we settled down enough to start getting things done. We got the math work done, did the homework that we still had for English and Science, and Pony explained the Spanish lesson to me, along with the homework. By the time we had finished all that, it was 4:30. I really just wanted to get up.

I shoved the blanket off me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. When I stood up, all the blood rushed to my head, making my sight go fuzzy.

"You okay?" Pony asked as he got up from the bed himself.

"Yeah, I'm fine", I assured him.

"You know you're not wearing pants, don't you?" His ears had obtained a pink-ish tint.

I stretched. "Mm-Hmm. I don't really care if it's around you, though. If it were the gang, it would be a whole 'nother thing."

"Why don't you mind it around me? Not that I'm complaining", he paused, seeming to realize what he had just said. "Wait, no. I didn't mean it like that-"

I laughed a little. "It's okay, love. And to answer your question, it's because I feel comfortable enough around you."

He smiled before getting off my bed and going over to my radio, turning it on.

Grabbing my hairbrush, I got up once again, carefully bent over, and quickly re-did my hair. When I stood back up straight, Pony took me into his arms. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"I want to dance with you", he stated simply.

 _These Arms of Mine_ by Otis Redding was playing and the song was already about half-way done, but we danced to it nonetheless.

I think we were both just too tired to do something coordinated like a waltz, so I just wrapped my arms around his shoulders as his folded themselves around my waist. We didn't really move much, just swaying, even after the song had ended and other ones came on. Soon, bands like _The Rolling Stones_ came on, their louder music causing Pony to turn the radio down.

We eventually we stopped dancing when there was the noise of the front door opening and shutting, meaning my dad was home.

"Dinner's ready!" My mom called loud enough that the entire house could hear her a moment after the door shut.

I gave Pony on the cheek before going over to my dresser, scouring it for a pair of pajama pants.

"Honey, are you eating here?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Does Darry know?"

"When I got here, your mom asked me if I wanted to have dinner with y'all and I said yes, so I called Soda to let him know and told him to tell Darry."

I nodded in approval before we both walked out of my room and went downstairs into the kitchen.

"Lily? Ponyboy? Is that you?" Mom asked, not turning away from the stove.

"Yep", I answered.

"Would you be a dear and set the table, Lily?"

"Sure." I went over to the silverware drawer and counted out 6 forks, knives, and spoons before grabbing 6 plates, setting them all at the table and adding an extra chair for Pony.

"Can I help with anything?" Ponyboy asked Mom. "Napkins? Glasses?"

"I think we're just about set, dear, but thank you for the offer."

My dad and the twins filed into the kitchen and sat at the table.

"Go ahead", I ushered Pony. "Sit down. We're just bringing over the food."

He pecked my cheek and sat down at the table next to my dad and an empty chair that I assumed was for me.

"What's dinner tonight?" I asked my mom as I grabbed some glasses.

"Pizza."

I smiled and followed my mom to the table, carrying the glasses in my hands.

After we were all situated, the usual dinner table questions started.

"How was work today, James?" Mom asked.

"It was okay. How was the house today?"

"Good. No catastrophes as of yet."

Dad turned to Anna and Henry. "How was school?"

"Boring", they both said. It seemed that that was the only thing the two could ever agree upon.

He turned to me. "How was your day, Lily? You're obviously not at work so did something happen?"

"I got sick at school today", I told him, taking a sip of my water.

"What? Do you have the bug or something?"

"No", I answered. "Dehydration."

"Is that why Ponyboy's here?"

"Yes, sir", he said. "I came over after school to help her with what she missed today and make sure she was doing alright."

My dad smiled slightly at him, his 5 o-clock shadow twitching.

"And how's school going for you, Ponyboy?"

"It's going well. I've gotten all A's this semester and hope to keep it that way until the end of the year. One of my friends is graduating soon too."

"Part of your gang?"

"Yes sir."

"And how're they doing?" my mom asked. "The gang?"

"They're all good. They all have girlfriends now, except for Darry. Two-Bit's girl, Rachel, is a good influence on him. He got a job back in the winter and has held it since. We're all real scared of the draft, especially the girlfriends."

My parents nodded solemnly. "We can only hope that this war doesn't last much longer, or Henry here could be drafted too."

"Yeah, if it lasts much longer, I'll be eligible for it too", Pony agreed.

The table was filled by silence for a while, the only sounds being those of silverware, drinking, and shifting in seats.

"So", Mom broke the silence, "will you be staying over tonight, Ponyboy?"

"Maybe, if that's alright with y'all."

My parents both nodded. "Of course it's alright."

"I'll call my brothers and ask them if I can. They might say yes since it's a Friday."

"Do you have a change of clothes?" I asked.

"Yeah, I have one in my bag for after track practice."

"And you could sleep with me in my bed", I added.

Everyone turned to me and my cheeks turned pink. I felt stupid for even suggesting-

"Of course", my mom agreed, cutting off my thoughts. I was shocked. Were they really letting Pony and I sleep in the same bed? My dad looked hesitant about my mom agreeing, but didn't say anything about it.

After we ate Pony called his house and asked Darry if he could stay over and thankfully, Darry said yes. (Pony also asked if Soda could bring his DX shirt along with his own to work the next day, to which the answer was also yes.)

Pony stayed in my room as I took a quick shower. I ran upstairs to my room to change afterwards, only to see him sitting on my bed and staring at the wall. He was probably just thinking since he does that a lot. Though I do too.

"You better keep starin' at that wall, Ponyboy Curtis", I told him with a hint of amusement in my voice, "because if you turn around while I'm getting dressed it won't end well."

He laughed. "Thanks for the warning."

I slipped on my undergarments and put on a new pajama shirt and bottoms.

"You can look now." I was bent over, running my fingers through my hair to get the knots out before I wrapped it in a towel.

"Is that how you do that towel thingy?" I guessed he turned around and saw me.

" 'Towel thingy'?" I repeated with a laugh.

"You know what I mean." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes, this is how you do the 'towel thingy'."

And with that I stood up and straightened out my shirt before walking over to my bed and sitting next to Pony. He had taken a book from my bookshelf and was reading one of the first few pages.

"Which one is that?"

He closed it, checking the cover. " _Jane Eyre_ ".

"How is it?"

"Eh, it's okay. I'm only on the third page, though", he responded.

"Is it as good as _Gone with the Wind_?" I teased.

"Nothing's as good as _Gone with the Wind_ ", Pony answered with a small laugh.

I grinned and grabbed my hairbrush, taking the towel off my head and brushing out my hair before parting it.

"Are you gonna take a shower too?" I asked.

"I think so, why?"

"Because if you want any hot water, you should go before the twins."

"Good idea." Pony walked out of my room and soon after, I heard the shower running once again.

After a few minutes I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I could tell it was Ponyboy. Usually, I could tell who was coming just by their footfalls. Mom's were quiet since she was quite petite. Dad's were heavier. He was a loud Scotsman and was 6 feet to my mom's 5'5. Anna's and Henry's were similar, except for the fact that Anna was a little lighter on her feet. Mine were usually quiet. I suspected it came from years of ballet, but more than not, I could walk down the stairs with mostly no noise. Pony's weren't as loud as my dad's but they were definitely audible.

The door opened and Pony walked in with dripping hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. I turned away and looked at the wall so he could get changed.

"I'm good."

I was confused by how little time it took. It's not like he would take as long as me, but his announcement came about 10 seconds after he came in.

When I turned around it made sense. Pony was just in his boxers.

"Honey?"

"Yeah?"

"Why're you just in your underwear?"

"Because I don't have any pajamas in my bag."

"Why didn't you ask my dad for some? You're probably near the same size."

"But that's weird."

I sighed and rolled my eyes before getting up and going downstairs.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can Pony borrow some pajama pants and an undershirt or something?"

Dad looked at me, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"He needs pajamas. At the moment he's just in his boxers."

"Maybe we should rethink the idea of the two of you sleeping in the same bed…" he muttered as he walked into his and Mom's room and grabbed soma pajamas out of his drawers.

"Dad, have I ever given you reason not to trust me and Ponyboy together?"

"No, thank God."

"And remember how you said no going past kissing? We haven't broken that rule. We'll be fine."

My dad handed me the clothes with a sigh. "Fine, just…no funny business."

"Yes sir." I walked back up the stairs and into my room, giving the pajamas to Pony.

"Here, try these on. I don't care if I see you in your boxers, but I think my family will."

He slipped the shirt over his head and pulled the pants on. The pants had to be rolled up a few times in order for them to fit, but they were passible.

"My dad was questioning if we should sleep in the same bed", I told Pony and sat on my bed.

"Why?" He was rubbing his hair with the towel to dry it off.

"Because I informed him that you were in your boxers in front of me", I laughed.

"Are we still allowed to sleep in the same bed?"

"I think so. I reminded him that we've never broken any of his rules before and that seemed to convince him."

"Y'know what's weird?", he said. "It's getting harder to fall asleep without you with me."

"Is Soda not an adequate enough cuddler?" I giggled.

"I have to say, I prefer to cuddle with you. He's not as pretty", Pony answered, coming over and hugging me.

I laughed again stood up on tip-toe to give him a kiss on the cheek. We both sat on my bed for a while, him continuing to read _Jane Eyre_ while I leaned on his arm and read along with him silently.

"You wanna go downstairs?" I questioned after a few hours of reading. "I think my parents are watching Johnny Carson."

"Sure."

As I suspected, my parents were indeed watching "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". My dad was in the recliner and my mom was in her chair. Pony sat down on the couch, me plopping down onto his lap.

"Anyone good on?" I asked.

My dad shrugged. "Not really anyone that I know."

I watched the T.V anyway, listening to the interviews and skits.

At some point I subconsciously started to run my fingers through Pony's damp hair while my upper arm rested on his shoulder. Even when I realized that I was doing it I didn't stop. His hair felt soft and fluffy when there wasn't any grease in it. It was nice.

"You should stop putting grease in your hair, honey. It feels nice without it."

"It doesn't make me look very tuff, though, does it", he yawned.

"You tired, love?"

"Yeah, a little." He yawned again, which made me yawn too.

"I think you're more than a little tired", I laughed.

"You might be right."

"I always am."

We got up and brushed our teeth (we had an extra toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet that hadn't been opened yet) before saying goodnight to my parents and heading up to my room. It was too hot. I really didn't want to overheat or become dehydrated again, but I wanted to cuddle with Pony. My decision was to take off my pajama pants. When I looked over at him, I noticed Pony doing the same, but taking off his shirt as well.

We slipped into my bed and pulled the thin covers over us. Pony lay on his side and I lay facing him, his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

"I love you", he whispered, kissing my forehead.

"I love you too", I told him, cuddling into his chest. "So much."

Hey, guys! I meant to update sooner, but I was somewhere with no internet for a couple weeks. But having no internet, I started Chapter 3 as well, so that should be up soon. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13


	3. Chapter 3

Soon after the "Dehydration Incident" Pony and I got our grades back for our art projects. I got a 95, which I was very happy about. My score had mostly been boosted because of my writing rather than the actual drawings.

Ponyboy got a 105 with extra points because of his artistic ability and his way with words. Needless to say, he was pretty happy with his grade. Darry was too.

Speaking of Darry, everyone had noticed his happier mood in those last few weeks.

One day when I was at the Curtis' I found out the reason.

I was staying for dinner that night and when I asked Darry if he needed any help making the food, he said yes, which he didn't do very often.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Lily."

"What about?" I asked hesitantly.

"I kinda got a problem."

"What kinda problem?"

"Well…", he muttered while cutting some vegetables, "there's this girl…"

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Shh!" he hushed me quickly. "She's not my girlfriend…yet."

"Yet?"

"I kinda like her, but I haven't asked her out."

"You 'kinda like her'?"

"Okay", he relented, "I _really_ like her."

"What's your problem then?" I was confused.

"Doll, I haven't had a girlfriend since high school and that was _four years ago_. I don't really remember what to do."

I nodded. "Okay, but what can _I_ do to help you?"

"I dunno", he ran a hand down his face, which I had seen Pony do many times too, "you're a girl. You might know what I should do."

"Well, first off, you need to tell me about her. I'm not sure if I can help, but I'll try my best."

"Her name's Ruth and she's a year younger than me. She's got blonde hair and the prettiest dark green eyes. She'll be in her last year of college next year."

"What's she going for?"

"She's majoring in engineering and minoring in math at OU, but she's from here. I don't remember her real well from high school, but I remember hearing her name mentioned. She was on the swimming team."

"What's she like?" I was excited for Darry. He finally found a girlfriend.

He almost turned to mush just thinking about her. "Glory, she's amazing. She's so sweet and nice and helpful. She loves what she's going to school for and she's passionate about it. She doesn't care that I'm a greaser and she respects that I have to take care of my brothers."

I cocked my head a bit. "Is Ruth not a greaser?"

"She's middle-class."

"I think that you should just ask her out. She'll probably like it better if you're straightforward about it."

"Thanks, doll", Darry said, giving me an affectionate, yet quick squeeze.

"It's what I'm here for", I smiled.

We continued making dinner for a while before I thought of something.

"Darry?"

"Yeah?"

"How'd you meet Ruth anyway?"

"Well…", he rubbed the back of his neck, yet another thing that I had seen Pony do before, "I kinda…sorta…almost dropped a hammer on her head."

I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. "You did _what_?"

"I know, I know. It didn't hit her, though."

" _How the hell_ did you manage to almost drop a hammer on her?"

"I was working on a roof about a month ago and when I swung back as I was nailing in a nail, the hammer flew out of my hand. Ruth was walking down the sidewalk in front of the house."

"Darry, just…just be more careful."

"Will do."

I couldn't help but smile while asking, "Is that why you've been so giddy the past few weeks?"

"I have?"

"Oh, absolutely. Everyone's noticed."

"This should be interesting to explain", he sighed.

"Will it ever."

XxXxXxXxXx

About a week after my conversation with Darry, it was Two-Bit's graduation day. It was a Saturday and I had come over early that day, especially since I needed to help the boys look presentable.

The man of the hour himself barged into the house at noon, clad in an unbuttoned white dress shirt, too small dress pants and an unknotted tie hanging out of his pants pocket.

"GUESS WHAT TODAY IS!" he yelled excitedly and if the house hadn't already been awake yet, they would have been by that.

We all couldn't help but smile, though.

Two-Bit's mom and sister walked through the door after him.

"Hey, Lizzie", I greeted, giving her a quick hug, "how're you doin'?"

"As good as I can be while living with this idiot", she smiled, jerking her thumb towards her brother.

"Has Ashlynn been behaving herself at work?"

"Yep, she's been great."

"Good, because if she weren't, I'd have to have a talk with her."

Mrs. Mathews walked over to us. She was quite short, probably about 5'3 and was a little plump. But she had this cheerfulness about her that just made you want to be her friend. Her eyes were more blue like Lizzie's and she had Two-Bit's rusty hair. "It's wonderful to have a girl in the house. We're the only civilized ones here."

Two-Bit, Soda, and Steve all turned towards us and said a simultaneously insulted, "Hey!"

Mrs. Mathews, Lizzie, and I laughed at them and soon my name was called.

"Lily?" Steve shouted.

"Yes, Steven?" I was the only one who could call him that without getting my face pounded in. We had deemed it an example of "kid-sister privileges".

"I need help!"

"Oy vey", I muttered under my breath before yelling back, "With what?"

"I need my tie tied and Darry's in the bathroom."

Darry was the only one who knew how to tie a tie and had ordered all of the boys to wear one, even if they had to borrow it.

"Coming!" I yelled to him before turning to Mrs. Mathews and Lizzie. "The ever-present responsibilities of a preschool teacher."

I heard them laugh as I walked into the kitchen, only to see Steve with some kind of half-unraveled, half-tied tie around his neck.

"Steve, what the hell did you do?"

"I don't really know, to be honest", he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and kicked a chair out from under the table, making Steve sit in it by yanking him by his tie. Sitting on a chair in front of him, I carefully unraveled the tie and put it back around his neck, straightening it out and tying it properly before tightening it slightly.

"There", I huffed, heading back into the living room, where I could (hopefully) get away from my tie-tying duties.

"I don't believe we've ever met", Mrs. Mathews said with a warm smile. "I'm Mrs. Mathews."

"I'm Lily Smith, though you probably already figured that out."

"And how do you know these hooligans?"

"I'm Ponyboy's girlfriend."

She turned to her daughter. " _This_ is the girl that you were talking about, Lizzie?"

"Yes, Mom."

"All good things, I hope", I broke in.

"Of course! It's just that I almost didn't believe that it was true when she said that Ponyboy had a girlfriend. He's still a little boy in my mind."

"Well, here I am", I smiled. I still hadn't even seen my boyfriend since I had gotten to the house. The gang told me he was getting "gussied up" in his room and had holed himself up there since breakfast.

"Here you are", Mrs. Mathews agreed with a laugh. "And might I say that you're just beautiful."

My face flushed a deep red color. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Darry! I need you to-" Ponyboy came out of his room and started to yell to his brother, stopping when he saw me. "Wow, you look great, darlin'."

Just as my previous blush had started to fade, another came on, turning my face bright red yet again.

"Thank you, honey." I was wearing my best dress, a light blue one that came to my knees with short sleeves, Mrs. Curtis's heels, my necklace, ring, and a pair of silver stud earrings. I had put a little bit of makeup on and Dutch-braided the two front sections of my hair, tying them in the back to create a kind of half-up-half-down kind of look. I was wearing a black sweater with the top two buttons buttoned to hide the scars on my arm and collarbone. "You look pretty good yourself."

He was wearing a tucked-in white dress shirt and dress pants, his tie in his hand. His hair had been greased back and from the smell, he had just put on his cologne.

"What were you comin' out here screaming about?" I laughed.

"I needed Darry to tie my tie."

"He's in the bathroom right now. Here, I'll do it." I put out my hand for the tie, which he gave me and I leaned up, popping up his collar and wrapping the tie around his neck, tying it and tightening it before smoothing his collar back down.

He gave me a peck on the lips and thanked me before going into the kitchen with the rest of the gang.

"You're cute together", Mrs. Mathews observed.

"Thank you."

"Good gracious", she laughed, fanning herself with her hand, "I feel old. It seems like just yesterday Pony was a four-year-old playing with his blocks and now look at him! All grown up!"

"Time really does fly", I laughed.

Just then, the door opened again and the girlfriends filed in. Rachel was in a bright yellow dress that complimented her skin-tone with her hair up in a bun. Evie was in a navy dress with a pair of 6-inch silver heels that I never even wanted to _try_ walking in. Ashlynn was wearing a peach dress with a pair of tan-colored flats and her hair in a curled ponytail.

I greeted each one with a hug and we talked until Darry came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. I excused myself and walked over to him.

"Darry, will Ruth be here soon?"

The day after Darry had asked me for advice, he had asked Ruth out. The gang went wild when they heard. Darry invited her to Two-Bit's graduation so we could all meet her and we were all anxious for it.

"I think so. She said she'd be here around-"

As if on cue, the door opened once again and a girl walked in. She was very pretty with wavy blonde hair and a small figure. She couldn't have been much taller than me, maybe 5'5 or 5'6 at the tallest. She was in a green dress with small grey heels.

Darry's face immediately lit up and I knew that this was Ruth. He walked over to her, gave her a hug, and kissed her cheek before pulling back and standing next to her with an arm around her shoulders.

"Everyone, this is Ruth. Ruth, this is everyone."

We all gave her our varied greetings.

"It's great to finally meet y'all", she smiled. I could tell she felt a little overwhelmed, which I understood since there were 10 people in the room that she had never met before.

She introduced herself to the gang before wandering over to the girls and introducing herself. Everyone introduced themselves and said how they knew the boys and Ruth and her had a small conversation before the next girl introduced herself.

"I'm Lily", I told her. "Ponyboy's girlfriend."

"He's Darry's youngest brother, right?"

"Yeah, he is."

"How old are you two?"

"I'm fifteen, going on sixteen this September. Pony's turning sixteen in July."

Ruth grinned. "How long have y'all been together?"

"It'll be two years this fall", I said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.

"That's great. You don't see many young couples that last this long. You must be doin' something right."

I laughed. "I sure hope so. How's Darry been?"

"Oh, he's awfully sweet."

"He is", I agreed. "He seems a little scary when you first meet him, but he's just a big old softy. All of the gang is that way, really."

"They all seem very nice. Especially your boyfriend and Sodapop."

"I would hope Pony would be nice. If he wasn't, I'd have to knock some sense into him later", I laughed.

"What's this about knocking sense into me?"

I turned around to see Ponyboy.

"I was just saying how you better be being nice to Ruth because if you aren't, I'm going to knock some sense into you."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Gee, thanks, darlin'. I'm really feelin' the love."

I laughed and leaned on him a little. "Don't worry, honey. It wouldn't be anything permanent. Only a bruise or somethin'."

Pony rolled his eyes with a smirk and kissed my head before walking into his room.

"Are you really gonna him 'im?" Ruth questioned with a laugh.

"Probably not. If anything, I might give him a hit upside the head, but he'll be fine", I grinned.

"It's time to go, y'all!" Darry's voice boomed across the house a moment later.

Everyone streamed out of the house. Rachel, Two-Bit, Mrs. Mathews, and Lizzie piled into Two-Bit's car, Steve, Evie, Soda, and Ashlynn went into Steve's car, and Darry, Ruth, Pony, and I got into Darry's truck.

On the drive to the school, Pony and I talked in the backseat about allergies. (How we reached this topic, I wasn't quite sure.)

"I don't have any", he said.

"I don't either", I told him. "But Ashlynn is awful with pollen. Remember that day last month when it poured out and we had to run to your house?"

He nodded.

"She wasn't there that day because there was lots of pollen in the air and she was coughing and sneezing the whole night before."

"That's gotta be rough."

"Yeah", I agreed. "When we were little, we sometimes had to cancel or reschedule playdates because of it."

"That musta sucked."

"Yeah", I chuckled a little, reminiscing.

 _(Flashback)_

" _We're going to Ashlynn's house! We're going to Ashlynn's house!", I singsonged._

 _A 4-year-old me was prancing around the kitchen at 7 in the morning; a time almost incomprehensible for me to wake up at as I reached my teenage years. My mom was pouring the milk in the waiting bowl of Cheerios on the kitchen table that was meant for me._

" _Peanut, I know you're excited, but you have to quiet down a little. I just got Anna and Henry to settle down", she told me calmly._

 _My eyes widened and I instantly stopped in my tracks._ I'm a big sister _, I thought to myself._ I have to be good to the babies.

 _The twins were almost one and I would be turning 5 fairly soon._

" _Can I see them, Mommy?" I asked as I tip-toed up to her and looked up to her face._

" _Eat your breakfast first. Then you can see them."_

 _I smiled and hopped into my chair as carefully as I could, not wanting to disturb the twins. The cereal was done in less than 5 minutes._

" _Can I see the Anna and Henry_ now _?"_

 _My mom smiled down at me softly, tiredly. It must have been exhausting for my parents to raise three kids under 5 when they were only in their mid-twenties themselves. Especially since they were living on the rough, poor side of town._

" _You have to be quiet though, okay?"_

 _I nodded vigorously._

 _She picked me up in her arms, sitting me on her hip, and carried me into her and my dad's room where the twins slept in their crib._

 _My dad was getting ready for work when we walked in, pulling on a flannel button-up over an undershirt._

" _Hi, Daddy!", I greeted, leaning out of my mom's arms slightly to give him a kiss on the cheek._

" _Hey, Gracie", he grinned. My dad had always called me "Gracie", a variation of my middle name, Grace, as a nickname, especially when I was younger. It was his mom's name._

" _Daddy, guess what!"_

" _What?"_

" _I'm gonna go see Ashlynn today!"_

" _That sounds exciting! What're you ladies going to do?"_

" _I think we'll play with dolls and dress-up", I responded._

" _That sounds fun!" he said as he kissed my forehead before turning to my mom. "Do we have anymore oatmeal, Sweetheart?"_

" _I put it on the counter."_

" _You're the best", he told her and gave her a peck on the lips._

" _Babies", I insisted when he left the room a moment later._

" _Don't you worry, Peanut. The babies are right here, just waiting for you to see them."_

 _My mom carried me over to the crib and I leaned onto the bars so I could get a look at the twins._

 _They were still sleeping soundly (probably a miracle for my parents) and I didn't want to wake them up._

" _Hi, Anna. Hi, Henry", I whispered and cautiously ran a finger over each of their cheeks. Then I practically crawled out of my mom's arms and kissed each of the twins on the forehead, hoping they wouldn't stir. Luckily, they didn't._

 _That was when the phone rang. Mom carefully set me down and rushed to the phone so it wouldn't disturb Anna and Henry._

" _Hello?… Hi, Laura…Why? Is everything alright?… Oh, that's awful. I hope she feels better soon…Bye."_

" _Who was that?" I questioned. It was what I asked every time one of my parents talked on the phone._

 _My mom crouched down to my level. "Peanut, that was Ms. Young, Ashlynn's mommy."_

" _Is she excited for the playdate?"_

 _She sighed. "Lily, Ashlynn can't have a playdate today."_

 _I was shocked. "What? Why?"_

" _Well, Ashlynn has something called an allergy. It means that she gets sick sometimes when the pollen comes out in spring and summer."_

" _What's pollen?"_

" _You know when we go into the garden and there is that powder in the middle of all the flowers?"_

 _I nodded._

" _That's pollen. It helps new flowers grow and bees use it to make honey. But for Ashlynn, when the flowers bloom and there's lots of pollen, it makes her sick. She was coughing and sneezing all last night and still doesn't feel very good."_

 _Tears were welling up in my eyes._

" _So I can't see her today?"_

" _I'm sorry, Peanut, but no, you can't see her today."_

 _I started to cry and my mom wrapped me into her arms._

" _What's wrong?" my dad asked, walking out of the kitchen._

" _Ashlynn has allergies, so they can't have the playdate."_

" _Oh, I'm sorry about that, Gracie", Dad said, crouching down to my level as well. "I know you were looking forward to it."_

 _I nodded and sniffled as tears continued to run down my face. He hugged me too and my tears soaked the shoulder of his flannel._

" _You know what we could do?" he asked._

" _What?" I questioned into his shirt._

" _After I get home from work today we can all go and get some ice cream. How does that sound?"_

 _Raising my head at him, I nodded slowly. "I guess that's okay."_

 _He smiled at me and kissed my cheek. "And while I'm gone you can stay with Mommy and the babies. Maybe she'll play dolls with you."_

" _While the babies are sleeping, we can play dolls all you want, Peanut", she assured me._

 _I smiled a little._

" _There's that smile", Dad grinned as he stood up. "I'm off to work, okay? Be good for Mommy and the babies, alright, Gracie?"_

" _Alright, Daddy", I grinned despite my still watery eyes._

 _My dad went into his and my mom's room to kiss the twins before coming back to give me another kiss on the cheek and my mom one on the lips._

" _I love you guys", he said as he grabbed the car keys and walked out the front door._

" _I love you too", My mom and I both said back._

 _(Flashback over)_

"Lily? Darlin', we're here."

I was broken out of my reverie by Pony saying my name.

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it", he smiled and got out of the truck, holding the door open for me.

Everyone met up on the school lawn and sent Two-Bit to where he needed to be before walking to the gym and sitting down in the chairs that had been set up.

"So what were you oh-so deep in thought about?" Pony asked from his spot next to me.

"That conversation about allergies just made me think about a time when I was little and one of me and Ashlynn's playdates had to be canceled because of her allergies."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

People continued to file in until all the chairs were full and lots of people were standing.

"Are there supposed to be so many people?" I asked Pony.

He looked around before answering. "I think so. There were about this many people at Darry's graduation too."

Soon, the graduates started walking across the recently-set-up stage and accepting their diplomas.

"Keith Mathews", the principle's voice boomed onto the microphone.

We all stood up and started clapping and cheering like crazy people. Steve and Soda even tried to stand up on their chairs before Evie and Ashlynn pulled them down. Mrs. Mathews had started crying a little, Lizzie consoling her with a laugh.

Two-Bit ran onto the stage with his signature goofy grin plastered on his face and shook the principle's hand as he grabbed his diploma. When he walked off stage, he pumped his fist in the air and jumped around, making us all laugh.

"Ladies and gentleman", the principle spoke after everyone had received their diplomas. "Welcome your class of nineteen-sixty-seven!

All the graduates threw their caps into the air and cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

After the ceremony ended, everyone went to the back field where there were refreshments (meaning there was water and cookies).

"You did it!" Rachel exclaimed, running into her boyfriend's arms. He twirled her around with a laugh before setting her down.

"Can you believe it? Ol' Two-Bit Mathews survived high-school!"

"I'm so proud of you, son", Mrs. Mathews said and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Mom", he smiled at her and turned to his sister. "What 'bout you, sis?"

She shrugged, but you could see her mouth forcing back a smile.

"Oh, come here!" Two-Bit chuckled and pulled her to him, grabbing her into a hug.

I leaned on Pony's shoulder and smiled at the scene.

"That'll be us in two years", he reminded me.

"I can't wait", I replied with a grin.

XxXxXxXxXx

The graduation was over and we had all made our way back to the Curtis' house for an "afterparty", which basically meant that we would all have dinner together and some celebratory drinks (alcohol) would probably be passed around. Rachel, Ashlynn, and I were in the kitchen after dinner, sitting at the table to get away from all the chaos in the living room.

"You know what?" Rachel asked.

"What?" Ashlynn questioned.

"I think we should all have a sleepover."

"A sleepover?" I inquired.

"Yeah!", Rachel exclaimed, "It'll be fun!"

"Who is the 'we'?"

"All of the girlfriends."

"Why?"

"Oh, won't y'all just can it and play along?" Rachel teased. "Because it'll be fun! We're never all together and I for one don't know Evie and Ruth that well, so we could get to know them better."

Ashlynn and I looked at each other, then back at Rachel.

"I guess it could be fun", Ashlynn shrugged.

I nodded.

"Well, I was gonna make ya do it, whether you wanted to or not", Rachel laughed. "Let's go tell 'em."

When we went into the living room, we were met by an interesting sight: Soda and Steve were pretending to waltz with each other while Pony kept yelling out corrections from his spot on the couch. (It was nice to see that what I had taught him over a year-and-a-half before had stuck with him.)

Two-Bit was a little intoxicated and was sloppily and loudly humming a strange tune that sounded something like a waltz, but wasn't quite there.

Darry was sitting in his chair with an unopened beer in his hand and an expression on his face that couldn't seem to decide whether it was disturbed or amused.

Ruth, on the other hand, was sitting on the arm of Darry's chair and was clutching her stomach in laughter.

Evie was giggling loudly from her place next to Ponyboy and Two-Bit's mother and sister were just standing on the wall, laughing as well.

"Did I miss something?" I asked after a moment.

"Honestly, darlin', I don't even think you want to know", Pony told me before yelling out the instruction, "Steve, your arm's supposed to be on his waist, not on his shoulder!"

"So, I'm guessing Soda's the girl?" Ashlynn leaned over and asked me with a smile in her voice.

"I guess so", I laughed.

All three of us were in hysterics until the boys stopped. After a few moments of trying to get our breaths back, we went over to Evie and Ruth. Rachel beckoned them into the kitchen and when we were in there, she told them her plan.

"That sounds like fun", Ruth admitted. Evie nodded in agreement.

A date for the sleepover was set and agreed upon and it was decided that we would be having the sleepover at Ashlynn's house after everyone who worked was off. It was really happening.

XxXxXxXxXx

On the set day at the set time, I was knocking on Ashlynn's door.

Footsteps could be heard running to the doorway and moments later, Ashlynn stood in her now-open doorway with a grin on her face.

"C'mon! C'mon!" she waved me in hurriedly.

I laughed at her eagerness before doing as I was told.

After about 20 minutes, everyone was present and we were all sitting in Ashlynn's room, some of us on her bed and some on the floor.

Since Ruth was the oldest out of all of us, I had expected that talking to her would be a little awkward. Luckily, that wasn't the case. We all talked and laughed like we were old friends.

"Let's do something fun!"

"Like what?" Ashlynn asked.

"We could play Truth or Dare", she suggested.

"Sure", I said. "Why not?"

Ashlynn and I moved from her bed to the floor where we all sat in a circle.

"I'll start", Rachel told us. "Ruth, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Hmm…" Rachel thought. You could almost see the gears turning in her head. "I dare you to prank call Darry."

Ruth nodded before turning to Ashlynn. "Where's your phone?"

"I'll show you." Ashlynn stood up and Ruth followed her. Rachel, Evie, and I followed after them.

We all watched as Ruth dialed in the Curtis' number and held the phone to her ear. Someone picked up the phone and we could hear their muffled voice on the other end.

"Hello", Ruth greeted, attempting to lower her voice to a deeper pitch. "Who is this?… Hello, Steve Randle. Does Darrel Curtis happen to be with you?… I need to have a word with him… Hello, Darrel. How are you?… I'm calling to confirm your order of thirty-seven cats."

All of us had been giggling throughout the introductions, but when she mentioned the cats, we all started hysterically laughing. It was obvious that it was hard for Ruth to keep her composure. She cleared her throat to try and keep herself from laughing before she spoke again.

"…Yes, sir. Thirty-seven of them. Could you just tell me your address to make sure we're sending them to the right location?"

Darry must have forgotten to move the phone away from his face and cover the part of the phone that you talk into because we just heard a resounding yell of, "Which one of you assholes ordered thirty-seven cats?!"

We all broke, even Ruth. We were in hysterics. I had sunk down to the floor and was on my hands and knees. Rachel was leaned against the wall, while Ruth was leaning on the table that the phone was on. Ashlynn was doubled over, clutching her stomach, as was Evie.

"Wait", we heard Darry say, "who is this?"

"Hi, Dar-Bear", Ruth said in-between laughs. "How're you doin'?"

"Ruth, why are you calling me and asking about an order of thirty-seven cats?"

"Because I had to prank call you and that was the first thing I thought of."

We could hear Darry sigh. "Okay, baby-girl. Have a good night."

"You too. Bye", Ruth giggled before hanging up the phone.

"That was a _mazing_!" I laughed.

Laughter echoed through the house as we walked back to Ashlynn's room.

"Okay", Ruth started, "it's my turn now." She looked around the circle, searching for her victim. "Evie, truth or dare?"

"Truth", Evie told her. Her voice was a little louder than it was when we were with the gang.

Ruth thought for a bit, rubbing her chin manically. "Tell us the most embarrassing story you have about you and Steve getting caught in a…compromising position."

Evie's cheeks flushed pink as she started to answer. "Well…once we were at the drive-in in his car. We were making out during the movie and I guess we were being kind of loud. Neither of us had shirts on and our hair was a mess and we both had hickeys when this employee came over. He was a kid, only fifteen at the latest and he had been told to tell us to knock it off. He was blushing and stuttering the entire time and Steve and I were mortified."

"You scarred the poor thing for life!" I laughed.

"Well, Steve was the one who said that 'it'll be fine' and 'we won't get caught', so I blame him for that", she told us, deepening her voice slightly when she quoted her boyfriend. She looked around at us, "Ashlynn, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Umm…how'd you meet Lily?"

Ashlynn looked at me and smiled deviously. "We met when we were two at dance class. I've been stuck with her ever since."

I faux gasped and lightly hit her in the arm. You suck."

"Love you too", she laughed. "Now, Lily, my friend…truth", she stopped dramatically, looking at the rest of the circle before whipping her head back to me so quickly, her ponytail hit me in the face, "or dare."

I copied her head-whipping action and answered. "Truth."

"First of all, you're a sissy", she remarked, making the rest of the girls laugh. "Second of all, when was the last time you wanted to slap me upside the head?"

"Probably last week when I said 'bonjour' and you responded with 'cómo estás'. Like your entire career of taking a second language class just went down the drain", I laughed.

We continued like this until we somehow managed to start asking the weirdest questions and coming up with the strangest dares. There was a point where it was Rachel's turn and she chose me.

"Truth or dare?" That part was simple enough.

"Truth", I answered.

She thought for a second before asking, "What bra size are you?"

If I had been drinking or eating anything, I would have choked on it. "What?"

"I asked what bra size you are", Rachel repeated.

"Why the hell do you want to know?"

"Because why not? We're all girls here. We've all got the same parts."

"A double-D", I said quietly as a blush creeped onto my cheeks.

All of the girls except for Ashlynn (since she already knew) erupted into a chorus of "what?"s and "how?"s.

I had been a Double-D since about my fifteenth birthday and it wasn't fun. They felt almost disproportional to the rest of my body and made everything harder.

"You don't look like a double-D", Ruth argued.

I smirked and stood up before doing the same thing that I had done when I had told Ashlynn and she hadn't believed me: I took my shirt (or in the case at hand, a sweatshirt with a camisole underneath) and pulled it taut to my body so my full chest size was visible.

"What about now?" I laughed.

"I see it now", she admitted.

"How the hell are you a double-D?" Rachel asked. "I'm only a few years older than you and I'm only a high-B."

"I dunno", I shrugged. "Genetics are weird."

"Ain't that the truth", Evie muttered, making us laugh.

After hours of truth and dare and telling funny stories, Ashlynn turned on the radio in her living room because she decided that we should have a "dance party" before we went to bed. So, there we were at 11 at night, singing and dancing along to Nancy Sinatra.

"These boots are made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do. One of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you", we all sang, pointing in various directions as though the couch or lamp were the ones that we were blaming.

A few songs after that, _Respect_ by Aretha Franklin came on, which was, as expected, very interesting. Ashlynn, Rachel, and I stood on the couch and very dramatically sang into imaginary microphones. There was also _a lot_ of shoulder dancing involved.

"Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey.

And, guess what, so is my money.

All I want you to do for me is give it to me when you get home.

Yeah, baby, whip it up when you get home.

When you get home now.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care TCB…", we all sang loudly, dancing the entire time. We could only hope that we didn't disturb the neighbors.

Soon, we all got ready for bed. I wore the sweatshirt that I had on since it hid my scars and was comfortable and a pair of pajama shorts since it was hot. The sweatshirt was the one that Pony had given me months before to hide the hickey he had given me, which I had then proceeded to keep.

All of us piled into the living room. Evie, Ashlynn, and I squeezed onto the couch since we were the smallest, Ruth would sleep in the recliner, and Rachel would sleep on the floor.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor", Ashlynn told her. "We can get something together."

"I'm fine sleepin' on the floor. Don't worry 'bout me. I have blankets and pillows and stuff, I'll be good."

"If you're sure…", I trailed off uncertainly.

"I'm sure", Rachel grinned.

"G'night, y'all", Ruth said.

"Good night", we said back. Everyone was out in 10 minutes flat.

 **Yay! Another chapter! It's nice getting these up faster and I'm hopeful about how much I'll get up this summer. All rights to "These Boots Are Made For Walking" got to Nancy Sinatra and all rights to "Respect" go to Aretha Franklin. I love y'all and stay gold!- Athena Ravelclaw13**


	4. Chapter 4

The school year ended a few weeks after Two-Bit's graduation, which I was thankful for. I was happiest to be rid of Mrs. Pope and I could tell Pony was too.

Ashlynn and I had our dance recital not long before school ended and Pony and Soda came to see us again, once again prompting a full-on photoshoot from our moms.

One day, about a week into Summer Break, I walked into the DX to have lunch with Pony during our breaks. When I came in, I was greeted by one of the best things I had ever seen: Ponyboy Michael Curtis was dancing to Elvis.

The door connecting the garage to the store was open and Steve and Soda were blasting the radio while presumably working on cars (though you never know with those two).

Pony was standing in front of the counter as _Hound Dog_ played and was dancing along while cleaning the countertop.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog, cryin' all the time.

You ain't nothing but a hound dog, cryin' all the time.

Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine…", he sang along with the radio and when the drums kicked in after the chorus, he pulled off the signature leg movements perfectly.

I stood there amusedly as I watched him sing and dance, subconsciously tapping my hand one my leg to the beat. _One, two, one. One, two, one…_ Soon, I decided to sing along with him, "Well you said you was high-class.

But, that was just a lie.

Well, you said you was high-class.

But that was just a lie.

Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine…"

It took until the chorus for him to realize that someone else was there and when he did, he whipped around and screamed when he saw me.

I started hysterically laughing, doubled over and leaning against the wall.

Sodapop and Steve came running in when they heard the scream, only to find me with tears streaming down my face since I was laughing so hard and Pony with a red blush across his face and a hand over his heart as he breathed heavily.

"What the hell happened in here?" Steve asked.

Fighting to catch my breath, I wheezed out an answer. "Pony… was dancing to Elvis… and I watched him… and then I started singing along… and scared the crap out of him…"

The older boys both started laughing just as mine started to calm down. I walked over to Pony and smiled at him.

"So how's your day been goin'?"

He just rolled his eyes and tugged me over to him, engulfing me in a hug. My arms went around his middle and my face was in his chest. His DX shirt smelled of gasoline and cigarettes, but his wife beater underneath smelled of his cologne.

I leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Get a room, you hormonal teenagers!" Soda yelled as he grabbed a Coke out of the freezer.

"Might I remind you that A- you have a girlfriend who you kiss in public as well and B- you are a quote, unquote 'hormonal teenager' too?" I said.

"You have a point, my friend", he called back to me while he followed Steve back into the garage.

"So", I started again, "how's your day been goin'?"

"It's been alright, but it would have been better if you were there."

"You're so cheesy", I laughed.

"You know you love it", he smiled.

"Oh, don't I ever."

XxXxXxXxXx

"Oh, say can you see

By the dawn's early light?

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming.

Whose broad stars and white stripes…

Wait, whose stars and stripes were they again?"

It was the Fourth of July and our very own Two-Bit Mathews was putting on a disgraceful, off-key performance of the _Star-Spangled Banner_.

"Keith, would you please shut up?" I begged. "Francis Scott Key would be ashamed at your singing. It's 'broad stripes and white stars', not 'broad stars and white stripes'."

Two-Bit being Two-Bit, was decked out in the tackiest patriotic regalia possible with a huge Uncle Sam hat, red, white, and blue beads, and a costume-esque American flag tie that (of course) wasn't tied and just limply hung around his neck. The fact that he was wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans didn't help the look much. Especially the tie portion.

"But how else will I show my love for our country?" he exclaimed.

"By shutting up and not subjecting anyone else in our lovely country to your awful singing", Rachel answered, rolling her eyes.

"Rachel! I thought you were on my side!" Two-Bit clutched his chest and staggered backwards.

"I am most of the time, doll, but this time, I have to agree with Lily."

"I'm gonna get you for that!" he yelled and chased his girlfriend out of the house and into the Curtis' backyard.

I laughed at their antics and sat on the couch next to Ashlynn.

"Two-Bit Mathews, I swear to God, if you knock something over out here, I will make you feel a new world of pain!" Darry could be heard yelling at his friend. Since he was the oldest, he was being trusted with the grill and there would be hell to pay if anyone ruined the food.

"You think he'll actually beat him up if he knocks anything over?" Ashlynn asked.

I shrugged. "I wouldn't doubt it, though I don't think he'll do it right now since Ruth's over."

Everyone had come over, even my family and Two-Bit's mom and Lizzie. My mom was talking to Mrs. Mathews, Dad was talking to Darry outside, and the twins were probably playing around with some of the boys. Everyone else was outside.

When Ashlynn and I went outside a few minutes later, everyone was in a group while Darry and Ruth were standing in front of them.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We're startin' up a game of football", Rachel told us before getting an excited look on her face. "Ruth, if Ash and Lily are playin', we can play girls against boys."

"Y'all playin'?" Ruth questioned.

Ashlynn and I looked at each other and shrugged before looking back at Ruth and giving her a simultaneous "Sure".

"I'll be ref", Lizzie volunteered.

The teams broke apart to discuss our game-plans. I got a little lost on what Ruth meant when she was explaining said game-plan to us, but I just nodded along and afterwards asked Rachel to fill in the blanks for me in the simplest terms possible, which she did, thankfully.

We all lined up on our sides of the backyard in our positions and the game started. Since competitive sports had never been my strong suit, I kind of just played off of watching other people and tidbits of instructions that I remembered from when I had played with the gang a year before.

At one point, the ball was passed to me and I froze or a second, my mind suddenly drawing a blank on what I was supposed to do. That was until I heard my team and my dad screaming, "Run!"

That was exactly what I did. I ran towards the boys' goal as fast as I could, the ball tucked under my arm. Then, I heard someone running behind me. Darry, Two-Bit, Steve, Henry or Soda were all in front of me, so I knew that it had to be Ponyboy. I sped up as much as I could, sprinting as fast as possible and dodging the boys in front of me when they tried to tackle me. Pony was only a few feet behind me soon enough, but I crossed the boys' goal mark just before he caught me.

I stopped to catch my breath, my hands on my knees, when suddenly, I was tackled by my entire team, causing me to both laugh at their enthusiasm and grunt at the weight of the pile.

"Atta girl, Lily!" my dad shouted.

I blushed at the praise before trying to shove the girls off of me.

Ashlynn helped me up and I bushed the grass off my shirt and knees. I was covered in grass stains.

Before I knew what was happening, I was being picked up and thrown over my boyfriend's shoulder. I let out a squeak in surprise.

"Honey, what are you doing?"

"Picking you up", he said simply.

"Well, I kinda figured that out", I laughed. "But can you put me down?"

"Nope."

I sighed, but a grin was creeping its way onto my face.

That was when Pony started to run around the yard and whoop like a maniac about my scoring touchdown while I was over his shoulder. I gripped my arms upside-down around his middle. Everyone was laughing at us and it took all I had not to laugh myself.

"You should probably put 'er down, Pone," Darry said. "I don't think her folks would appreciate it very much if you dropped her."

Pony complied, but only after running one more victory lap around the yard. When I was up straight again, I had to hold onto him because of the blood rushing to my head and making me dizzy.

"You alright, Princess?" he smiled.

"Just peachy", I smirked.

"I love you", he chuckled.

"Mm-Hmm", I hummed, pretending that I didn't totally believe him just to tease him.

Pony wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. "I love you", he repeated.

"I love you too, honey", I told him, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek.

"You missed", he pouted.

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to hide my smile as I pecked him on the lips.

"Happy?" I laughed.

"Very."

"Food's done!" Darry called out.

Everyone stormed the house and attacked the food before finding somewhere to sit, whether that was in the kitchen or the living room. Pony and I sat on the living room floor, our backs against the wall, plates on our laps, and cans of Pepsi by our sides.

"Are you excited for Two-Bit's show tonight?" Pony asked.

"Show?"

"He has somehow managed to obtain some fireworks."

"How the hell did he get those? Who in their right mind would give Two-Bit Mathews explosives?"

He shrugged. "In his own words, Two-Bit 'has his ways'."

"I think I'm excited, though that excitement is shadowed by crippling fear", I told him.

Pony started laughing and choked on his Pepsi. I patted his back as he coughed.

"I'm pretty concerned too", he said after he stopped coughing and clearing his throat.

"My family's gonna be in for one hell of a surprise if they don't already know."

"If there's one true thing that's ever been said about Two-Bit, it's that he's full of surprises."

I nodded in agreement before taking a bite of my burger.

When it finally started to get dark outside, Two-Bit went out to set up the fireworks. Darry followed him, claiming that Two-Bit needed adult supervision and since his mom wasn't into the whole fireworks thing, he would go and make sure he didn't get himself blown up.

The rest of us grabbed some blankets to sit on and brought them outside, spreading them out on the grass. All the couples sat together, as did Mrs. Mathews and Lizzie, my parents, and the twins.

It was only dusk, but fireworks had been lined up in the Curtis' backyard, just waiting to be lit. We hadn't had fireworks last year, so I wasn't terribly sure how the whole thing was going to go. Though, so long as nothing caught fire, I think we would be alright.

Two-Bit bent down next to one of the explosives and lit the fuse before running to his and Rachel's blanket.

My head lay on Pony's shoulder at we sat together and his arm was wrapped around my back, his hand on my upper arm.

The fire burned up the fuse and reached the firework, sending it flying into the air before exploding with a loud boom. I felt Pony's hand tightly squeeze my arm, so I looked up at his face, only to find his eyes wide with terror.

I gave him a confused look and just as he opened his mouth to answer, another firework went off deafeningly loud. Instead of speech coming out of his mouth, the only thing that came out was a yelp. More fireworks flew into the air and thundered into the night. And as more fireworks went off, the more Ponyboy reacted. He started to scream when they went off and was squeezing my arm so hard, I thought my circulation would be cut off. That was when he stared hyperventilating.

 _He's having an anxiety attack_ , I thought to myself. Nobody had noticed his screams or fast breaths yet because of the noise of the fireworks.

I grabbed Pony's hand and helped him up, rushing him into the house and bringing him into his and Soda's room. He was shaking profusely and his breathing pattern was only getting more uneven. He sunk down onto the floor and hugged his knees as the fireworks blasted outside.

"Ponyboy", I practically yelled so he could hear me over the noise. "Ponyboy, honey, look at me." I lifted up his face to look at him. He was in hysterics, sobs wracking his body as he hyperventilated. Tears poured out of his green eyes and trailed down his face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked, now extremely concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Gunshots…", he managed to get out between breaths.

 _Gunshots?_ I thought. _Why is he thinking about gunshots? Where has he heard gun-_ I stopped in my tracks. _Gunshots._ _That's what the fireworks reminded him of_. The puzzle pieces started to fit together in my mind. _The only time he's ever really heard gunshots was the night Dally was shot down by the police._

"Gunshots…", I muttered, almost in shock. "Are…are you thinking about that night with Dally and the police?"

Pony nodded his head a little.

"Oh, baby", I murmured, pulling him into a hug. His arms clutched so tightly around my waist that it seemed like he thought I would disappear any second. I could feel the quick, shallow breaths coming from his shaking body that was wrapped in my arms and the tears soaking through my shirt as he cried into my chest.

"Shh", I cooed as I rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down. "It's okay, baby. I'm right here. You have me right here and I'm not going anywhere."

He continued to sob.

"I love you, I love you, I love you…", I told him, repeating it over and over again. I felt like I wasn't helping him enough and wished that I knew what to say. He always knew exactly what to say when he comforted me. I just held him, and hoped that that would say what I couldn't.

I started to sing, hoping that those words could comfort him better than mine could.

"Love me tender, love me sweet.

Never let me go.

You have made my life complete and I love you so.

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will.

Love me tender, love me long

Take me to your heart.

For it's there that I belong and we'll never part.

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will.

Love me tender, love me, dear.

Tell me you are mine.

I'll be yours through all the years, 'til the end of time.

Love me tender, love me true.

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will."

Pony's breaths had evened out more and had slowed down considerably. He was still clutching to me like I was his lifeline, but I didn't mind it. Any way I could help him, I would and if this was what was helping him, then I would embrace it and let him do it as much as he needed to.

I ran my fingers through his hair and buried my head into his neck.

"I love you so much, Ponyboy", I whispered. "So, so much. I'm right here and I'm not leaving. Ever."

"I love you too, Lily", he said softly into my ear. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here."

"You never have to thank me for that", I told him and kissed his cheek.

The fireworks had stopped, meaning that everyone was probably wondering where we were.

Pony shakily started to stand, bringing me up with him before pulling me onto his bed and lying us down. We lay facing each other, his arms tightly secured around my waist and mine around his middle. His chin rested on top of my head and I brought one of my legs up so it rested on top of his. My head was in his chest and I listened to his heartbeat. It was slow and rhythmic.

"I love you, honey", I said. "So much."

"I love you too, darlin' ", he responded. "And I always will."

And a few moments later, we were asleep.

 _(Ponyboy's POV)_

When Two-Bit started to light off the fireworks, I was excited. I had always liked fireworks, the colors, the noise. It was the first time we had ever lit them off by ourselves in our own yard.

That all changed when the first one went off.

 _Boom. The policemen's guns fired into the night._

My eyes became as large as saucers and I gripped Lily's arm tightly. She looked up at me in confusion. I opened my mouth to assure her that everything was fine, even though it wasn't just as another firework sounded off.

 _Boom. Dally's body flails at the impact of the bullets._

I shrieked, but the explosions didn't stop.

 _Boom. The gunshots don't stop. Boom. Dally's dead body falls to the ground._

Screams came out of me and I couldn't stop them.

 _Boom. The men keep firing. Boom. "I'm just usin' it as a bluff."_

My breaths were coming out short and fast. This had happened to Lily before. It was an anxiety attack. I had comforted her during one of these before.

 _Boom. The gunshots wouldn't stop. Boom. Bullets made impact with Dally's body, even though he was clearly dead._

The realization that I was squeezing my girlfriend's arm much harder than I probably should have been came when she pried my hand off of her arm and took it in hers. She helped me up and hurried me into the house and into Soda and I's room.

 _Boom. The gang was screaming at the cops, telling them to stop._

I was shaking and taking quick breaths. My head was becoming lighter by the second as my legs gave out and I practically collapsed onto the floor, hugging my knees.

Lily yelled my name over the noise. I couldn't let her see me like this, so I didn't answer to her.

"Ponyboy, honey, look at me", she said frantically and raised my head to look at her.

 _Boom. Their cries were nothing against the blasts of the guns._

When had I started crying? My body was convulsing with sobs as she held my chin up, making sure my head wouldn't sink down again. My face was wet and her face was blurry.

She was concerned. Very concerned. I could see that, even through my blurry vision. Her eyebrows were furrowed together with worry and her brown eyes searched my green-grey ones.

"Baby, what's wrong? What's wrong?"

 _Boom. Steve crumpled onto the ground, in hysterics. Boom. Soda was next to him, trying to calm his best friend down._

"Gunshots", I sobbed between wheezes.

It was obvious she was confused. She looked at me and I could see her thinking hard. When she figured it out, I was surprised a physical lightbulb didn't appear above her head.

 _Boom. Dally's blood stained the ground around him._

"Gunshots…", she repeated quietly. I almost couldn't hear it over the noise. "Are… are you thinking about that night with Dally and the police?"

I nodded weakly. She shouldn't have to see me like this.

"Oh, baby", Lily cooed and pulled me to her. My head was buried into her chest and I held tightly to her waist, scared that if my grip slackened, she would be gone too,

 _Boom. It could have been any of the gang. Boom. It could have been_ her _._

"Shh", she tried to calm me down. "It's okay, baby. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

I calmed down slightly, not very noticeably. God, she didn't know how much she helped.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…", she repeated again and again.

 _I love you too_ , I wanted to say. _I love you so much._

Then she started to sing. I focused on her. Her voice. Her warmth. The light smell of her vanilla perfume. The way her small hand rubbed circles onto my back. How she sang our song.

My sobs had turned to hiccups and my breaths had started to become less spastic. My thoughts cleared a little, the memories of that night fading. I could hear intervals of what she was singing.

"…Love me tender, love me long

Take me to your heart.

For it's there that I belong and we'll never part…"

 _In and out_ , I directed myself. _In and out. In and out. Deep breaths._

"…I'll be yours through all the years, 'til the end of time.

Love me tender, love me true.

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will…", she finished, taking a few breaths before nuzzling her head into my neck and running her fingers through my hair.

I continued to grasp her tightly, never wanting to let go.

"I love you, Ponyboy", she said quietly into my ear. "So, so much. I'm right here and I'm never leaving you. Ever."

My voice finally figured out how to work again. "I love you too, Lily. Thank you."

"For what?" she questioned.

"Being here."

"You never have to thank me for that", she told me reassuringly.

We both stood up, me weaker than her, and lay down on my bed. Her arms were around my middle and mine had never left her waist. One of her legs was thrown over mine and her head had dug into my chest.

"I love you, honey", she whispered into my chest. "So much." I could feel her warm breath through my shirt.

"I love you too, darlin' ", I said back. "And I always will."

XxXxXxXxXx

When I woke up, the other side of the bed was cold. I immediately perked up, concerned. Where was Lily? She was here when I fell asleep, wasn't she?

As I reached over to where she had been sleeping, I heard a crumpling noise. It was a piece of paper. Looking closer, the bright moon provided enough light for me to see what was on it. It was a note written in Lily's elegant cursive.

 _Dear Ponyboy,_

 _I wish I could have stayed asleep with you, but my parents said we had to go home. Everyone was wondering where we were. I hope you're feeling better whenever you're reading this. Don't worry, I gave you a kiss before I left. I'll see you tomorrow during our lunch break. I love you, honey. - Lily_

I couldn't help but smile as I read it. The clock on my bedside table said that it was 1 in the morning.

The gang was in the living room talking and laughing, but I was too tired to want to join them, so I just changed into a pair of sweatpants and flopped back into bed.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, breathing in the remnants of her perfume.

XxXxXxXxXx

(Back to Lily's POV)

On the twins' 12th birthday, it was a normal birthday in our house. Mom made their favorite breakfast that morning, then we went wherever they wanted (they chose to go to the fair that was in town), and when we came back, Dad got home from work and we all had dinner and cake before they opened their presents.

It only became abnormal when Anna came into my room later that night. I was reading a book in my pajamas when she came in.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

I looked up from my book. "Sure."

She walked in, closing the door behind her before coming over and sitting down at the foot of my bed.

"I need to talk to you", she said.

"About what? Should I be concerned? Did you break something again? Because if you did, I'm not being your scapegoat."

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just…Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know that you liked Ponyboy?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Well, I had been friends with him for a week or two and one day I just realized that he was everything that I had ever wanted in a boyfriend. I loved spending time with him. Why do you ask?"

"I think I like someone."

My eyebrows raised in surprise before scrunching together in confusion. "What do you mean, 'you think'?"

She flopped on her back. "I just don't know. Like, I've known him for a while and he's nice and cute and when I'm around him I get kinda nervous. I don't know what to do."

"Well, it sounds to me like you've got a grade A crush, my dear sister", I smirked.

"Damnit", she grumbled.

"What's wrong with having a crush?"

"I dunno, it's just so cliché. I don't even really want to have a crush on him, but I just can't help it. Tons of girls in my grade have boyfriends and they break up and then they get back together and then they break up and they get back together again and then they break up and they date other people and then they get back together again. It's just so stupid!"

"You are very pessimistic towards love, aren't you?" I laughed.

"I'm realistic."

"Jesus", I laughed, "that's exactly what a pessimist would say. So, let me get this straight, you're put off by the whole idea of love…because of you witnessing the toxicity of fifth grade relationships?"

"And because I'm scared of what Mom and Dad'll say since I'm young."

"Oh… I get it now", I sighed.

I smiled sympathetically at her and waved her closer. She scooted up the bed until she was leaning against my side. I put an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you remember when I first got together with Pony?"

She nodded.

"Do you remember what happened when Mom and Dad found out?"

She shook her head.

"Well, that day, he had taken me to go meet his family and have dinner at his house before going to see a movie. When he came to pick me up, Dad opened the door and threatened to hurt him if he did anything to me. He looked like he was about to crap his pants."

Anna laughed and I couldn't help but do the same.

"At his house that night after dinner, we went out and sat on his back steps to watch the sun set. He gave me that necklace as a birthday present and then asked me if I would be his girlfriend. Obviously, I said yes and we kissed.

"Long story short, after he brought me home that night, Dad and I got into a fight. He was saying that boys only want 'one thing'. You know what that 'one thing' is, don't you?" I used finger quotations around "one thing".

She nodded, pink flushing her cheeks.

"I defended him because I knew that he would never do something like that. Dad and I were both yelling at each other and I stormed into my room. After the fight, Mom came up and asked me about Pony and agreed to try and convince Dad that I could date him. Luckily, she did and he agreed. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I couldn't be happier. We went through all that awful stuff in the first month and made it through. He's never been after that 'one thing'. He's never touched me when or where I didn't want to be touched, he's never made me do anything that I didn't want to do. The only time he's possibly seen my chest was when he had to give me all those stitches and the only reason why was because my bra was cut and in the way, so he had to take it off. He even put a towel over my chest so I would feel comfortable. You wanna know a secret?"

She nodded.

"We've never gone past making out. Back in the winter was the farthest we've ever gone and he accidentally gave me a hickey. I don't think I've ever seen his face get redder than it did that next morning", I laughed.

Anna laughed, her face flushing pink again.

"You can never tell Mom and Dad about that, though. Capeesh?"

"Got it."

"Good. So, moral of the story; obviously you have to listen to Mom and Dad. I know it's annoying and sucks sometimes, but you have to. But if you really like him, just ask him out yourself. The worst he can say is no. I probably would have asked out Pony if he didn't ask me out first. If you're not sure if you have a crush on him, just wait a while and see if the feelings pass. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah", she nodded. "It does. Thanks."

"No problem", I said before thinking of something. "Anna?"

She looked up at me so I knew she was listening.

"Who is this boy, anyway?"

A red blush washed over her face as she answered. "Tommy Rivers."

"What's he look like?"

"He's got brown eyes and black hair that he keeps greased back. He's real nice."

I tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Happy birthday, Annie."

"Thanks", she smiled a little at her nickname and got out of my bed. "I don't want Mom and Dad gettin' on my case, so I'm gonna go to bed now. Love you."

"Love you too."

When she left, I fell against the headboard and sighed.

"My baby sister's growin' up", I laughed to myself.

 _Why am I the one who everyone asks for dating advise?_ I thought to myself. _First Darry, now Anna._ I pondered this until I fell asleep.

 **TODAY IS PONYBOY'S BIRTHDAY! (At least it was when I wrote this chapter) YAY! I would get a cake if I could. The Fourth of July thing was sad, I know, but I've had that idea in my head for a while and needed to write it. I think it went fairly well, how about y'all? I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	5. Chapter 5

On Pony's birthday, I came over a little before dinnertime.

"Hi, darlin' ", Pony greeted me when I knocked at the door, giving me a kiss.

"Hey, birthday boy", I smiled.

"How was work?"

"Good. Mrs. Brown let me off early since the place was already dead. The perfect day for it too."

"You got that right", Pony smirked.

"Are you the only one home?"

"Nope. Soda's in our room doin' something or other."

"How was your day off?"

"Good", he said as a giddy crept onto his face. "Look what I got!"

Pony grabbed his wallet and took out a card: his driver's license.

"You got it?" I exclaimed.

"Yup. I am now a certified driver." A look of pride spread across his features.

I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "That's great, love!"

"Pony! Who's he-", Soda called as he walked into the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw me. "Hey, doll. When'd you get here?"

"A few minutes ago."

"Well, that's one more for dinner", he chirped and walked to the oven.

"Should I be scared of dinner?" I whispered to Pony.

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I watched him make it. There's nothing unusual about it."

"Good", I sighed.

Soon, the gang came and Darry got back from work.

"Hey, Darry?" Pony said about half-way through the meal.

"Yeah, Pone?"

"I was thinkin' about tryin' out for football when school starts up again…"

Darry instantly perked up. "You are? Really?"

"I'm thinkin' about it. I've always liked football and it would be fun to play more often. It _seems_ like it'd be fun, anyway. 'Specially since you talk about it all the time."

"That's great! The day you find out when try-outs are, you tell me."

"Will do", Pony agreed.

"What'll you do about track then?" I asked Pony.

"Well, if I get in and the days don't go right, I can just not do track in the fall. Football season only lasts from the start of school until October."

"Who are you kidding?" Two-Bit exclaimed. "Of course you'll get in. Sports run in the Curtis boys' genes, just like looks. Besides, since Darry was real good at it, you'll still be riding on his wave."

"Well, a good lot of the Socs still don't like me after what happened two years ago…", Pony trailed off.

"They haven't been talkin' about that again, have they? I'll beat their rich asses if they are."

"No, they aren't talking about it. It's more like…like…", he looked at me, asking for the right words.

"It's hidden, but it's there. No one talks about it, but everyone knows about it. Even if nobody says it, we'll always be known by them as the ones who killed Bob. That's never gonna change", I told them.

Pony nodded in agreement, "Exactly."

"It can only get better, though", Soda encouraged. "You won't be known like that forever. Y'all are still known for savin' all those kids and that's a pretty damn good thing to be known for, if I do say so myself."

"I suppose", Pony said.

"Anyway", Soda announced, "it's time for cake!"

Our dinner plates were cleared away and new ones were brought out. Darry took the chocolate cake out of the refrigerator and Soda stuck in the candles.

"Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, dear Ponyboy.

Happy birthday to you."

He bent over to blow out his candles and when he stood back up, I leaned up and gave him a kiss, bringing on some wolf-whistles from the gang, even though it wasn't a terribly scandalous kiss.

"What did you wish for?" I asked when we pulled away.

"If I say, then it won't come true", he smirked.

I playfully rolled my eyes at him and sat down.

The cake was cut up and distributed and we all ate. It was obvious that Darry made the cake since you didn't get an immediate sugar high.

Afterwards, we gave Pony his presents. Darry got him a new football (we all found that a little amusing, considering Pony's confession during dinner), Soda got him a new pack of colored pencils, and Two-Bit got him a new book. Then there came Steve's present. He simply smirked maliciously and tossed a few copies of "Playboy" onto the coffee table. I quickly covered Pony's eyes as Darry and Soda scrambled to pick up the magazines. Two-Bit and Steve were laughing their asses off.

"Nuh-Uh", I said. "No way. He is _not_ looking at those parts of any other girls!" By the time I realized what I had said, it was too late. Two-Bit and Steve started to laugh even harder and were rolling on the floor.

My face was absolutely scarlet and felt like I had a fever. I hid my face in my hands.

"Is there something we should know?" Soda asked.

"No!" Pony and I both yelled.

"I said that wrong", I insisted. "That wasn't what I meant!"

When I looked up, I saw Darry looking at us skeptically and Soda with a ghost of a grin on his face. I looked back down again and shielded my face with my hands. Ponyboy wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled my face into his chest.

It took a while for Steve and Two-Bit to calm down, but eventually they did. I took my present out of my bag and handed it to Pony. He looked at it, then me.

"You have to unfurl it, idiot", I laughed. "That's how a rolled-up poster works."

"I know, I know", he smiled as he did as I said. When he saw the poster, his eyes widened. It was a movie poster for _Hombre_.

"How did you get this?" he asked, shocked.

"Rachel works at the movie theater, so I asked her to get the poster for me when the movie went out since I know you like Paul Newman so much. I know it's not much, but-"

"No", Pony cut me off. "No, it's great. Thank you, darlin'." He put the poster down and kissed me on the cheek.

I smiled shyly. "You're welcome, honey."

He checked the time on his watch. "I should probably be getting you home. Dar, can I borrow the truck?"

Darry smiled fondly at his youngest brother before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the keys, tossing them to Pony. "Sure, bud. Be careful and come back right after you drop her off."

"Got it, Darry. Thanks."

I grabbed my bag and followed Pony out to the truck, where he opened the passenger-side door to let me in before getting in himself. We both buckled in and he started the engine and pulled out of the driveway carefully.

"And we're off!" he joked when he was out of the driveway and on the street.

"You can be my chauffeur until I can drive", I laughed.

"I can be your chauffeur even after you drive", he pointed out.

"True."

After a few minutes, Pony pulled up in front of my house. I leaned over and gave him a kiss.

"I love you, birthday boy", I grinned.

"I love you too, Princess", he smiled. "And I always will."

I got out of the truck and went up to my house, giving him a wave before walking in.

"Was that Ponyboy driving?" my mom asked from the couch.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"I assumed that you wouldn't kiss any other people than your boyfriend", she laughed.

"He just got his license today."

"Is it his birthday today?" she asked as if to herself.

"Yep."

"Tell him happy birthday from me the next time you see him."

"Okay", I smiled tiredly. "I'm going to bed. Is Dad in your room?"

"Well, if he's not in the bathroom or the kitchen, he's bound to be there."

"Night, Mom. I love you."

"Love you too, Peanut."

When I walked into my parents' room, my dad was already asleep. I grinned a little and kissed his cheek. "Night, Dad. I love you."

He didn't wake up, just shifting a little.

 _Boys_ , I thought with a laugh. _You couldn't wake them up if a hurricane was outside their door._

XxXxXxXxXx

Ponyboy and Ashlynn were at my house on the first day of school, per usual, so we could all walk together.

She didn't get Mrs. Pope, which we were all thankful for. Pony and I had probably scared her with the tales of the teacher, anyway.

"You excited to try out for football?" I asked him, swinging our intertwined hands.

"Yeah, but I think Darry's even more excited", he laughed.

"What position do you want to play?" Ashlynn questioned.

"I don't really care what I play. Just getting on the team would be great", he responded with a shrug.

When we got to school, Pony and I rushed to our lockers, then to first period math.

"Good morning, class", said a middle-aged woman. The few grey strands in her brown hair stood out, but she had a warm smile and a soft voice that reminded me of my mom. "I'm Mrs. Garcia, your calculus teacher for this year. I will now call attendance."

She couldn't have been more different than Mrs. Pope was the year before. After she called a name, she smiled sweetly at the person and greeted them, regardless of whether they were obviously a greaser or Soc.

"Lily Smith?"

"Here", I raised my hand to show her where I was.

"It's nice to meet you", Mrs. Garcia beamed.

"Ponyboy Curtis?" she said a while later.

Pony raised his hand.

"That's a wonderful name. It's nice to meet you, Ponyboy."

He blushed. "Thank you, ma'am."

I took his hand under the table and mouthed, "She's nice".

He nodded in agreement, his cheeks still tinted pink.

When attendance was done, Mrs. Garcia gave us an overview of calculus, including writing an equation on the board. Almost everyone's eyes widened and jaws dropped upon seeing so much in one equation.

"I know", she started, "it looks scary. Really, it's not once you learn it. But, if any of you ever have a problem or are confused, please ask me. It's what I'm here for and if you get confused and then we move onto something even more complex, it will confuse you even more and set you back. Does that sound alright with y'all?"

We all nodded.

"Wonderful", she grinned.

At lunch, Pony, Steve, Ashlynn, Evie, and I all met up and ate together. Pony and I were still kind of in shock at how nice Mrs. Garcia had been.

"Yeah", Evie agreed. "She's real nice. I had her last year. You didn't, did you, Steve?"

He shook his head. "Nope, but everyone who did loved her."

"I got try-out's tomorrow, so do you think you'll be okay walking home with just Ashlynn, darlin'?"

"Don't worry, honey. We'll be fine", I assured him. "When do you find out if you got in or not?"

"The next day", he told me, then bit his lip. "Is it bad that I'm nervous?"

"Not at all. It's good to be nervous. It would be more concerning if you weren't, honestly."

"Okay", he chuckled nervously. "Just making sure."

"It's gonna be fine. We all believe in you. Isn't that right, Steve?"

I turned to him to see him with a cocked eyebrow as if to say "Really?" I knew he was just kidding, though.

"Well, _I_ believe in you, at least", I told Pony with a laugh.

"You know I'm just kiddin', kid", Steve ruffled Pony's hair, causing it to stick out in different directions. "Maybe you'll even get Darry's old number."

"It matters on the position. He was the quarterback and I doubt I will be. There are lots of guys who're probably way better than me."

"Well, we'll find out in a couple days, won't we?" I smiled.

XxXxXxXxXx

Two days later, I was talking to Ashlynn out on the school lawn. School was out and we were waiting for Ponyboy. He was going to see if he got on the football team. Then I was suddenly tackled in a hug. I squeaked in surprise before realizing that it was my boyfriend.

"I'm in!" he shouted. "I'm in!"

"What?"

"I made the team! I made the team, darlin'!"

"That's great!" I exclaimed.

He spun me around, making me giggle, before falling to the ground and pulling me with him.

"So…", Ashlynn trailed off as she looked down at us with a smirk on her face, "I guess you're playin' football this fall?"

"Yep", Pony smiled from his supine position.

"What position did you end up getting?"

"Running back." He stood up and helped me do the same. I brushed myself off and then him with a laugh.

"The fact that that's your position doesn't surprise me at all", I told him. "You're probably the fastest person on the team. Hell, you're probably the fastest person in the school."

"I don't know about that…", he chuckled a bit.

We all picked up our bags and started walking to the Curtis'.

"Darry's gonna go crazy", I told him.

"I don't know about that, Princess. The most he'll probably do is smile and congratulate me. Maybe give me a hug. He's not really that expressive."

"I know he's not, but I think that he might show his true colors. Did you see how excited he got when you told him you were thinking of joining? Imagine how excited he'll be when you tell him you _got in_. I'll bet you on it, even."

"You'll bet me on it?" Pony repeated.

"That's what I said, love."

"How much?"

"A nickel."

Pony stared at me for a moment before nodding his head and awkwardly shaking our already intertwined hands without changing their position. "Deal."

Later that night, I got a phone call.

"Lily, the phone's for you!" my dad called.

I ran down the stairs and took it from him. "Hello?"

"I owe you a nickel", I heard over the line.

"So", I laughed, "what'd he do?"

"He went berserk. I swear to God, I can't remember the last time I saw him like this. He picked me up and hugged me and I thought I would suffocate."

"I'd say that's pretty excited. Especially for Darry."

"Exactly my point", Pony chuckled. "Soda grabbed me and gave me a piggyback ride around the yard."

"Yeah, you definitely owe me a nickel", I told him.

"I know", he sighed, though I could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next week was my first week back at dance, which also meant it would be my first few days of teaching the little kids.

When I got home from school that Friday, I did some homework, then changed into my leotard, tights, and dance sweater and tied my hair up into a neat dance bun before grabbing my dance bag and leaving the house.

I had to be at the studio 15 to 20 minutes before the kids arrived, so when I got there, I walked into the classroom and put my bag down.

"Hello, Madame", I greeted as I switched the jeans that I had put on for a dance skirt and changed my Converse for my dance slippers (I had a feeling I wouldn't be going up on pointe that day and they wouldn't be learning tap until the next day).

"Hello, Miss Smith. How are you today?"

"Good. And you?"

"Lovely. I'm very excited to meet the little ones, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I love little kids."

"I have to say, they're adorable and say some of the funniest things."

"You wouldn't believe the amount of strange things I heard my little brother and sister say when they were little", I laughed.

We started to spread little mats on the floor for the kids and us to sit on.

That was when the senior who was co-teaching with us came in. Her name was Melissa Jones and she was a beautiful dancer. She had the perfect dancer's body too: long limbs and neck, flat chest, skinny, and tall. Almost the opposite of me. She was also a Soc, though she seemed to be one of the nicer ones

"Hello, Miss Jones", Madame Evelyn said.

"Hello, ma'am. Do you need any help with that?" Melissa asked, gesturing to the mats.

"I think we're just about finished", she observed our work before turning to me. "What do you think?"

I nodded. "I think we're good."

"Thank you for the offer, though, dear."

"Madame Evelyn?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"Will the kids be calling us what you call us or will they be calling us by our first names?"

"I think 'Miss' with your first name will work. Thank you for reminding me. I meant to address that."

A few minutes later, the kids came in. There were 7 of them and they were all girls.

"Hello!" Madame Evelyn said cheerily. "I'm Madame Evelyn and I'm your teacher. This is Miss Melissa and Miss Lily. They're going to be teaching with me. How does that sound?"

A chorus of small, shy voices responded with, "Good".

"Wonderful. Now, we're going to sit down on those mats on the floor and you can all introduce yourselves."

We all walked over to the mats and sat down, Melissa and I on either side of Madame Evelyn.

"Introduce yourselves", she whispered to Melissa and I.

"Hello, I'm Melissa. I'm seventeen and I'm in twelfth grade. Umm… I have an older sister and I like to dance."

I nervously introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Lily and I'm almost sixteen and I'm in eleventh grade. I have a younger brother and sister."

"Do you have any questions for Miss Lily and Miss Melissa?" Madame Evelyn asked the kids.

Almost all of them raised their hands. _This should be interesting_ , I thought to myself.

"Okay, well in that case, introduce yourself and say something about yourself and then ask your question if you have you. We'll go around the circle starting with you", she pointed to the little girl next to Melissa. She had brown hair and hazel eyes.

"I'm Maria and I have a puppy. What's your favorite color?"

Melissa and I looked at each other and I gestured for her to go first.

"I like purple", she said.

"My favorite is light blue."

"Like Cinderella's dress?" Maria questioned.

"Exactly like Cinderella's dress", I smiled.

"I'm Tessa and she's my sister", a girl with red hair and brown eyes said, pointing to the identical girl next to her.

"I'm Rebecca and Tessa's my sister", the girl said.

"You two are twins?" I asked.

They both nodded.

"My brother and sister are twins too", I stage-whispered to them.

They gasped. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

Tessa and Rebecca giggled and I couldn't help but laugh myself. They were adorable.

"How old did you start being a ballerina?" Tessa asked in her grammatically-incorrect, childish way. Rebecca nodded vigorously, showing that she approved of the question. Luckily, Melissa and I both knew what was meant.

"I started when I was two", I told them, "so this is my…", I paused to count on my fingers, "fifteenth year."

"I started when I was three. This is my fifteenth year too", Melissa said.

"Wow", Rebecca said. "You're old."

Melissa, Madame Evelyn, and I laughed, though the girls didn't seem to know what at.

The next girl spoke quietly. "I-I'm Lacy and…and I like to draw."

"What do you like to draw?" Melissa asked.

"Flowers", Lacy answered.

"What are your favorite kind?"

"Daisies." The little thing almost looked like a daisy with her blonde pigtails and blue eyes.

"I like them too", I agreed. Lacy grinned a little.

"I'm Amy", the next girl introduced excitedly, almost as if she had had way too much sugar, "and I'm three!" She held up three fingers for emphasis.

"Do you like being three?" Melissa asked.

Amy nodded rapidly, her light brown ponytail bobbing along with it. Her green eyes were bright.

"Do you go on your tippy-toes?" she asked.

Melissa and I must have both known she meant pointe because we both nodded.

"It's called pointe", I told her. "Because you're on the point of your toes."

"My name's Shirley", the next girl said, "and I got a lot of stuffed animals." Her name wasn't surprising, considering she looked very similar to Shirley Temple with her springy golden curls and blue eyes.

"How many do you think you have?" I asked.

She thought for a few seconds before answering. "One billion-kazillion!"

I widened my eyes and hung open my mouth. "Wow! That's a lot!"

"Yeah!" she agreed proudly.

The girl to me started to speak. "I'm Jaqueline, but I like being called Jackie."

She had dark brown eyes, black curly hair, and a chocolate-colored complexion.

"Do you want to ask us anything?" Melissa questioned.

Jackie scrunched her face up in thought for a moment. "Do you have boyfriends?"

Melissa and I both laughed.

"I do", I said.

"I do too", Melissa said.

"Can we see them?" Amy asked.

"I don't think we brought them with us", I tapped my cheek pretending to ponder over this. "Do you know what we can do, Melissa?"

She caught on to my act. "Oh, I wish I did. What are we gonna do?"

The girls were laughing.

"Show us a picture!" Tessa and Rebecca exclaimed.

"Why didn't we think of that?" I asked Melissa.

We both looked at Madame Evelyn, silently asking if we could go to our bags for the pictures. She nodded, a grin on her face.

Melissa and I both got up, walked across the room, and dug through our bags, pulling out our wallets and walking back.

"This is my boyfriend", I said, pulling out a picture and showing it to the girls. They all crowded around it, trying to get a better look.

The picture was taken after the dance recital a few months before. I was still in full makeup and wearing a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweater with my Converse. Pony was in a nice T-shirt and jeans with his Converse on too. We were smiling at each other instead of the camera, my arms around his middle, his wrapped around my shoulders as I looked up at him.

"He's handsome", Lacy said quietly.

"Yes, he is", I agreed. "He's very handsome."

"And this is my boyfriend", Melissa said and the girls instantly shifted their attention to her.

Her picture showed her in a cheerleader's uniform and her boyfriend in football gear (except for his helmet). She was standing on tip-toe to kiss his cheek and he was laughing.

"Your boyfriend's on the football team?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"My boyfriend just got onto the team. He's the running back."

"Mine's tight end."

"What's his name?"

"George Hansen."

"I'll have to ask Pony if he knows him."

"Yes, you will", she smiled.

The class consisted of exercises, so the girls would be able to follow along somewhat. Pointing and flexing our feet, touching our nose to our knee; that kind of stuff.

All nervousness from earlier that day was gone and I knew it would be an interesting year.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next few weeks were filled with those 7 little girls, work, school, dance, Pony's football practices (though I didn't go to any of them), and him getting increasingly excited for the football season. I would probably be able to go to his games since they started after I got out from co-teaching.

One day, we were sitting at our desk in English, waiting for the teacher to come in.

"Hey, darlin'?" he asked to get my attention.

"Yeah, honey?"

"The guys on the football team have this tradition…", he started.

I nodded and took his hand, urging him to go on.

Pony took a deep breath before starting to speak again. "Their girlfriends wear their extra jersey to school on the day of every game. I just was wondering if…if maybe you'd want to wear mine." His voice rose at the end, as though he was asking a question.

"Of course I will", I smiled. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I know you don't like people seeing the scars on your arm and the jersey's not long-sleeved."

"I'll wear your jersey", I assured him, "and I'll figure something out about the scars."

"Have we figured out who's picking you up?"

"Well, the class ends at five-thirty, so my dad could probably pick me up."

"Me, Soda, and Steve get off then, so we could come and pick you up if you want. We could go to my house, get changed there real quick, and all leave together. Then, after the game, we could go back to the house and eat. I could drive you home or you could stay over."

"Are you sure that wouldn't be too much trouble, love?"

" 'Course I'm sure. It's no trouble at all. Besides, it's on the way home."

Him and I both knew that that wasn't true. The DX was on the East-side of town, while my dance studio was near the border between East and West. They wouldn't pass it on their way home. I was about to remind him of that when the teacher strode into the classroom.

XxXxXxXxXx

So, that Friday I wore a pair of jeans, Converse, and Ponyboy's football jersey with a camisole under it and put up my hair into a Dutch braid before slipping on my ring and necklace. The jersey was pretty big on me, going down to the top half of my thigh. Pony had given it to me the day before (after washing it, obviously). I used layers of makeup to cover up the scars on my arm and had extra in my bag in case I needed to retouch it throughout the day.

When I left my house, I saw Pony talking to Ashlynn, his back turned to me and his bag sitting on the ground. I walked up behind him, putting a finger to my lips when Ashlynn saw me, and jumped on his back.

He was startled for a moment before laughing and holding my legs. "Hey, Princess."

"Hey, love", I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Y'all are matching", Ashlynn laughed. "I'm figurin' you planned it that way?"

"What makes you say that?" I teased, knowing full well why she knew.

"Because I know about that thing where girls wear their boyfriends' jerseys. Then there's the fact that in my entire life, I've never seen you wear a football jersey. Especially not one from our school."

"Touché", I said and slid off of Ponyboy's back.

"I can't see your scars", he told me surprisedly as we walked to school.

"I put makeup on them", I explained. "It's the same thing I did for the recital."

He nodded. "Got it."

"I wish I could go", Ashlynn sighed, "but I can't take tonight off."

"Don't worry about it, Ash. There's always next week", I reminded her.

"I know", she said, as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "The struggles of being a working teenager."

"Don't I know that struggle", I laughed wryly.

"We're lucky we get off when we do", Pony said. "If I didn't get off at five or five-thirty, I would have to change my shifts around or not do football."

"It sucks", I agreed, "but the money helps. And the little girls that I teach are the sweetest things." I turned to Pony. "I've talked about you."

"Why?"

"When we were introducing ourselves on the first day, one of the girls asked the other co-teacher and I if we had boyfriends. We said yes and showed them pictures. Oh, and Lacy said you're handsome."

Pony laughed. "Well, tell her thank you for me."

"Speaking of that, do you know George Hansen?"

"I guess", he shrugged. "I don't really talk to him, but I know that he's tight end on the team. Why do you ask?"

"My co-teacher, Melissa, is his girlfriend. She's on the cheerleading team too."

"Damn. She's really gonna have to rush tonight."

"Why?"

"She gets off teaching with you at five-thirty, right? And the game's at six-thirty. The cheerleaders practice before the game, so she's gonna have to be fast getting to school and in her uniform quick enough to practice with the team."

"For her sake, I hope she's speedy", Ashlynn said.

"Me too", I nodded.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Melissa?" I asked to get her attention.

"Yeah?" she answered while pulling off her boyfriend's jersey. He was number 81.

We were both pulling our regular clothes off from over our dance things.

"Are you still a cheerleader?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you really have to be at the school as fast as I heard you do?"

She nodded, her long blonde ponytail bouncing. "Unfortunately."

"That's gotta be tough."

"Yeah", she sighed in agreement, "but I love it."

"Break a leg, Melissa."

She gave me a smile as she twisted her ponytail into a bun and tied it before securing it with some bobby pins.

An hour and a half later, when class ended, Melissa grabbed her stuff and ran out like a bat out of hell. I changed my shoes and grabbed my stuff as well before walking out of the building and standing on the sidewalk (we had arranged that the boys would be picking me up). It only took a few minutes for Steve's car to drive up at the curb. I got in the back next to Pony and we were off.

"You excited, honey?" I asked.

He looked at me with an anxious smile. It was obvious that he was a little apprehensive.

"Love", I started, taking his hand in mine, "you'll be fine. You'll do great. Okay?"

He nodded and exhaled deeply. "Okay."

"Alright, everyone out", Steve ordered. "Go get ready."

Pony and I nodded and clambered out, my dance bag over my shoulder. Pony was already taking off his DX shirt as he opened the door for me, letting me walk in before him.

He rushed to his room and I went into the bathroom. I quickly stripped off my dance sweater, leotard, and tights and was putting my pants right-side-in when the door opened.

"Soda, I need my-sorry!" Ponyboy started and squeaked out an apology when he realized I was in there before slamming the door shut. I had shrieked and turned away from the door and when he closed it, I heard Sodapop and Steve howling with laughter in the living room.

"Shut up, you two!" I yelled through the door. I hurriedly pulled on my pants, camisole, and Pony's jersey and sprayed some perfume, pulling on my socks as I exited the bathroom, my bag over my shoulder once again. Soda and Steve were still laughing.

"You suck", I muttered to them as I plopped onto the couch in a huff, starting to pull on my Converse and lace them up.

"You love us", Soda said between laughs.

"Maybe that's just what I _want_ you to believe", I smirked a little.

Darry walked in then. "How're we doin' on time?" His eyes wandered to the boys sitting next to me on the couch. "And what's up with Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber over there?"

"To answer your first question, Pony's the only one still getting ready and he'll probably be done soon. To answer your second, Pony accidentally walked in on me while I was changing in the bathroom since he thought Soda was in there. That sent these two into hysterics."

Darry just rolled his eyes and sighed before telling us he was going to take a quick shower. He jogged into the bathroom and not a minute later, we heard the water running.

About 5 minutes later, when Darry got out of the shower and hurried into his room, Pony came out of his and Soda's room in full football gear, cleats and all. His face was a stupendous shade of red.

"Sorry, darlin'. I didn't know it was you in there…"

"It's okay", I smiled at him. "It was an accident. No harm done."

He grinned a little at me and pulled his jersey over his head, tucking it into his pants. The jersey was blue with "Curtis" written across the back in gold lettering and the number 23 below it.

I stood up and went over to him, looking up at his face. "You're too tall."

"Too tall?" he questioned, a smile in his voice.

"Yes."

"Princess, I'm only six feet."

"No, you're not", Soda called from the couch.

"Yes, I am, Pepsi-Cola. Everyone on the team had to be measured and I can assure you, I'm six feet."

"That's not possible. I'm six feet."

Pony rolled his eyes heavily. "Christ, just stand up and I'll prove it."

Steve shoved his friend to his feet and Soda waltzed confidently over to Ponyboy, sure that he was in the right. I made Steve stand up too and jumped on his back so I could get an accurate visual.

"Sorry to break it to you, but you and Pony are the same height", I told Soda as I hopped off Steve's back.

"Seriously? When the hell did this happen? You were only like five feet yesterday!" Soda exclaimed.

"You think you're bummed?" I asked rhetorically. "I'm only five-four, Soda. _Five-four_. And Pony's still growing. I was supposed to be _five-eight_."

"I happen to like your height", Ponyboy told me as he walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, setting his chin on my shoulder.

"That doesn't mean I do", I argued.

"That's true", he whispered in my ear, "but you're not your boyfriend, are you? As your boyfriend, it's my opinion that you are just the right height and you can't take my opinion away from me."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled, especially when he tilted his head and gave me a soft kiss on the jaw.

"We all ready?" Darry asked, coming out of his room dressed in a new t-shirt and jeans with a pair of Converse that he had gotten for his most recent birthday. He was clasping Mr. Curtis's watch around his wrist.

"Just a minute, Dar", Pony told his brother, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment and then his room, which he came out of a minute later with a duffel back that I assumed was for his equipment slung over his shoulder. "Okay. _Now_ I'm ready."

We all rushed out, Pony, Darry, and I to Darry's truck and Soda and Steve to Steve's car. I jumped into the backseat of the truck and Pony into the passenger seat as Darry turned the key and pulled out of the driveway, heading on our way to the school.

"So what was all that yellin' I heard when I was getting dressed?" Darry asked.

"Your brothers were bickering over Pony's height. He said he was six-feet, while Soda said he wasn't, so they stood back-to-back and I looked and long story short, Ponyboy is six-feet-tall and Sodapop is now in denial."

Darry chuckled. "Damn, you're gettin' big. I remember when you were still in diapers."

I laughed and Pony's face flushed pink.

"Though, you still are pretty skinny. You sure you've been doing the exercises they told you to do? The sit-ups and push-ups and lifting and whatnot?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Darry. I just don't build as much muscle up as the other guys do. Besides, I'm running back. It's better if I'm a little leaner than all the other guys."

"I suppose", Darry said.

"As long as you don't get hurt", I told Pony.

"I'll be fine."

"I know."

There were already a lot of cars in the school parking lot and as soon as we parked, Pony turned around in his seat, pecked me on the lips, grabbed his bag, and told us that he would see us after the game before jumping out of the truck and running in the direction of all the other football players.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"I don't know", Darry responded. "But whatever it was, it was pretty damn fast."

We got out of the truck and met up with Soda and Steve before walking into the small stadium and finding some seats. Two-Bit showed up a few minutes later.

"So what'd I miss?"

I relayed him Soda's existential crisis about his height in the fastest way possible and in retaliation, Soda told him about Pony walking in on me in the bathroom.

"It's always somethin' at the Curtis house, ain't it", he laughed.

"It wouldn't be the Curtis house if that wasn't that case", I said.

After 30-45 minutes of us watching the cheerleaders and football players practice, the stadium was full of people from our school and the opposing one. The players all came onto the field with cheers from the crowd and the National Anthem was sung by a girl in our school who was known for being a preeminent actress and singer in the drama club.

I spotted Pony on the field and repeatedly hit Soda's arm in excitement. "There he is!"

"I know", he laughed. "I can see him."

"Set!" the quarterback yelled. I didn't hear anything else he said until "Hut, hut!" and the game began.

Since I wasn't terribly sure what was happening, I just yelled when everyone else on our side was yelling and booed when they booed.

The game went on like this about two hours, give or take, and we won. The gang and I ran down to the field along with the rest of our side. I jumped on Ponyboy, making him stagger back with a laugh. My arms were wrapped around his neck and my legs were around his middle. One of his arms was under my butt, holding me up and the other was wrapped around my back.

"You did it!" I exclaimed.

He removed his helmet and took out his mouth piece before finally talking. "I did, didn't I?"

"Nice goin', Little Colt", Darry congratulated, patting his youngest brother on the back with a grin.

"Damn, Pony, you did real great!" Soda wrapped an arm around Pony's shoulders and noogied him.

Pony moved his hand from my back and batted his brother away with a chuckle. "C'mon, Pepsi-Cola! Not the hair!"

"Well, Baby Curtis, looks like you got more than the family looks", Two-Bit teased.

Pony attempted to cock and eyebrow at him, making me laugh. He still couldn't do it after 2 years.

Steve stood next to us, propping his elbow on Pony's shoulder. "How'd it feel it be on a real field, twenty-three?"

Pony shrugged, a smile spreading across his face. "It felt pretty good. I'd say it went well, anyway."

"Ponyboy?" we heard from behind us. We all turned around, me still in Pony's arms.

Cherry Valance stood in front of us in a cheer uniform. I blushed and got off of Pony.

"I didn't know you were on the football team", Cherry said.

"Well, I am", he chuckled nervously, putting an arm around my shoulder. "I forgot that you were on the cheerleading team."

"Well, I am", she laughed a little. "How're y'all doin'?"

"Alright", I told her. "And you?"

"Alright. I'm guessing you two are still together?"

Pony and I looked at each other, grins on our faces. "Yeah, we're still together."

Darry said they would be in the parking lot and left the three of us to our devices.

Cherry smiled sadly as she pushed a few stray wisps of her fiery red hair out of her face. "How long's it been now since we last spoke? Two years?"

"About", Pony answered.

"I wish I talked to y'all more. You've grown up so much."

"Well, _he's_ grown up a lot", I laughed slightly. "I haven't."

"He may be taller, but you both look older. I can tell you that much."

"How's everything been going?" Ponyboy asked her. "Since everything happened y'know…"

"It's been better", Cherry shrugged. "I have my good days and my bad days, but I'm better than I was. How's everything been for y'all?"

"It's still hard", he said honestly, "but we're gettin' there day-by-day."

"What are you two now? Juniors?"

We nodded.

"I can tell you now, junior year's hard, but once you get to senior year it gets easier."

"Yeah", Pony chuckled, "that's what the gang keeps tellin' us."

Cherry smiled before checking her watch. "I think I gotta be gettin' home. Bye, Lily. Bye, Ponyboy. I'll see you next week?"

Pony nodded in agreement. "Bye, Cherry."

And with that, she walked out to the parking lot along with the rest of the people who were streaming out.

I turned to my boyfriend, tiredly smiling up at him. "You really did good, you know."

He grinned back and kissed my forehead

"Thanks, darlin'."

 **Hello, my good people! I would've updated sooner, but I've been busy with summer work for school. The idea of Ponyboy doing football came to me a while ago and I thought it was an okay idea, so I went with it. How do you guys think it went? I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	6. Chapter 6

Not much more than a week after the first football game, it was Pony and I's two-year anniversary. The store was absolutely dead, so I got out of work a couple hours early and got ready at home, changing out of my jeans, sweater, and T-shirt and pulling on a tent dress that my family from Boston had sent me for my birthday since it was "all the rage". I didn't know how they had gotten it, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I hadn't tried it on yet, much less worn it.

When I looked in the mirror, I quietly swore. The damn dress didn't work on me. My breasts were too big and just made the entire thing look awkward. Letting out a huff, I fell back on my bed.

"Damn you evil things", I muttered, looking down at my chest. Why couldn't I just be like all the girls in the magazines like Twiggy or Audrey Hepburn with their skinny bodies and small chests? My mom was smaller like Audrey was and she looked good in practically everything.

I stood back up and looked in the mirror again, turning to and fro, and trying to find any angle that looked good. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

That was when the adventure of digging through my drawers and closet in an attempt to find something passable began. Skirts, shirts, and dresses were tried on and flung onto my bed. After half an hour, I finally found something that worked: a midnight blue skirt that went came down to my knees and a grey sweater with a camisole underneath and my grey Converse. My hair had been in a Dutch braid all day, so I just took it out and braiding the front sections of my hair before spraying the waves. Already having most of my jewelry on, I just put in some silver studs and sprayed some perfume. I wasn't a huge fan of the newer fashion that had been coming out, so I stuck to the basics since I had always been a simple person, anyway.

I waited for Pony for a good twenty minutes, getting increasingly frustrated and scared. He was never this late and I couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to him. I knew that he had gotten out of work a little early too.

Soon, I just got up and walked to his house myself. The entire way, I rang my hands and racked my brain of the possible situations.

 _He could be getting jumped_ , I thought. _He could be hurt. What if he's been in an accident?_

When I got to his house, I saw an unfamiliar car in the driveway and immediately became more concerned. I ran up the porch and anxiously knocked on the door.

A moment later, Darry opened it. He had an abnormal nervousness written on his features and looked a little flustered.

"Darry, where's Ponyboy?" I asked hurriedly.

He sighed and ushered me in, closing the door behind us.

"The social worker's here", he whispered as we walked to the living room.

I looked at him in shock. "Why didn't anyone tell me they were coming?"

"We didn't even know", Darry told me. "She just showed up."

The two of us walked into the living room to find a woman with pursed lips and a tight, slicked-back bun sitting stiffly in Darry's recliner. Ponyboy and Sodapop were on the couch.

My boyfriend stood up and rushed over to me, giving me a hug. "I'm so sorry, darlin'."

"It's okay, honey", I cut him off, looking up at him. "It's not your fault."

"Sorry to break up this reunion, but I'm conducting an interview", the social service woman broke in harshly.

Pony and I pulled away, but held hands.

"And who are you?" the woman asked me.

"I'm Ponyboy's girlfriend", I told her.

"Why are you here?"

I looked at her strangely. "Well, he was supposed to pick me up for our date over half an hour ago, so I got worried and came over."

She looked me over for a while, studying me. "I suppose that since you're here, I may as well include you in the interview as well."

Confusion overtook me. Was I not even being given a choice in this?

When I looked up at Ponyboy, he just shook his head and I knew not to say anything.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Lily Smith", I answered. "And yours?"

"I am Mrs. Ryan. So, how do you know the Curtises?"

"As I said before, I'm Ponyboy's girlfriend."

"How old are you?"

"I'll be sixteen in two days."

"And how long have you been together?" she questioned. She sounded very bored and snobbish.

"Today's two years", I said.

"And is there any possibility that you might be pregnant?"

My cheeks reddened and my eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"If Ponyboy happened to get you pregnant under Darrel's watch, it could prove a point that he is not a fit guardian. Especially since you are too young to be financially stable."

"No", I told her, "there's no chance that I'm pregnant."

"Alright. Do you think Darrel, here, is a fit guardian for Ponyboy?"

"Of course. Darry is the best guardian for him. Him and Pony and Soda all love and care for each other and they should never not be together."

"And do you come here often?"

"Yes, I come here all the time."

"How are you treated when you come here?"

"I assume they've told you about the gang?" I inquired, earning a curt nod from Mrs. Ryan. "They all treat me like a sister. Except for Pony, of course. They all treat me well."

She continued her interrogation for almost an hour before finally picking up her files, dusting herself off as though she was repulsed by the vinyl of the recliner, bid us goodbye, and flounced haughtily out of the house, her kitten heels clicking on the wood floor.

I groaned loudly and fell onto Pony's lap when she was gone.

He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. "I'm so sorry, darlin'. I didn't know she was coming and now it's late and the night's ruined and you probably hate me…", he trailed off slightly, sounding like he was about to cry. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed heavily.

I sat up so fast I almost smacked heads with him and cupped his face. "Pony, honey, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'm not mad and it's not your fault. The night's not ruined. Sure, we're a bit delayed, but it's okay. We'll make the best of it."

Pony sighed and nodded slowly before pulling me into his chest and kissing my head.

We sat there in silence until I spoke.

"What were we going to do tonight?"

"I was going to take you to the park for a picnic", he sighed again, throwing a glance outside, "but the sun's gonna set soon, so that's out of the question."

"Hey, Pony?" Soda said. "Can you some into the kitchen with me and Dar for a minute?"

Pony and I shared a glance.

"I guess so", he responded hesitantly. I got off of him so he could move.

The boys went into the kitchen where I only heard their muttered voices. I wondered what they were talking about. They came out after a few minutes, Darry and Soda with small grins on their faces and Pony struggling to hold one back.

"You wanna go to the movies, darlin'?" he asked, holding up his hand which held the keys to the truck.

"Sure", I smiled and stood up. The two older Curtis brothers followed us and waved to us from the doorway as we drove away.

"What were y'all talking about in the kitchen?"

"They just asked if I wanted to take the truck and take you to the movies."

I could tell he was lying, but decided not to push it.

"What do you wanna see?" I asked when we got to the movie theater. We always went there since it was quieter and less rowdy than the drive-in.

"I dunno. _To Sir, with Love_ looks pretty good. What about that?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

He paid for the tickets (even though I offered) and a Pepsi for us to share. Personally, I was partial to both Pepsi and Coke, but since Pony's favorite soda was Pepsi, I usually said it was my favorite too, just to make things easier when we shared.

During the movie, my head rested on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around my shoulders. By the time the movie ended, it was almost 9 o'clock and I was hungry.

I thought that we got back to his house, we would go in and eat some chocolate cake if there was any left before he took me home.

That's not what ended up happening.

Pony and I walked into the house to find most of the lights dimmed, with the exception of a few lamps. I turned to him and scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. He simply smiled at me and closed the door.

Then out came Sodapop in a T-shirt, jeans, and a tie with a piece of black paper cut into the shape of a mustache and taped to his upper lip.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Curtis and Miss Smith", he greeted in an eccentric Italian accent. "How are you this evening?"

"Noi stiamo bene. Che cos'é questo?" I answered. I felt like messing with him a bit by speaking in Italian since he was speaking in an Italian accent.

Soda just stared at me for a moment before saying "Wonderful! Follow me."

He led us to the kitchen table, which was covered with an old tablecloth with silverware and plates on top.

Pony pulled out my chair for me and I hesitantly sat down, still not sure what was going on.

"The special tonight is the spaghetti and meatballs because that's the only thing we made", Soda continued in his accent. "Now what would you like to drink?"

"Water?" I said like a question.

Pony just looked at his brother and Soda made a finger gun and clicked his tongue before lunging into the refrigerator and pulling out a pitcher of water and a carton of chocolate milk, pouring them both into glasses and setting them on the table.

"If you need anything else, just ring!" he exclaimed and ran off.

"Love?" I started. "What is this?"

"Darry and Soda wanted to do something for us since we couldn't go out for our picnic and I suggested dinner", he told me, a pink blush tinting his cheeks. "I didn't expect somethin' like this though."

"So this is what you were talking about in the kitchen earlier?"

"Yup", he smiled and took my hand from across the table.

"Is this why you took me out for a movie?"

He nodded. "And Darry called your parents while we were out so they didn't get concerned that you were out so late."

"You guys are so sweet", I grinned.

Just then, Darry came into the kitchen and went to the oven, checking on the food that I hadn't even noticed was cooking before taking it off and bringing it over to the table, putting some on Pony and I's plates.

"Grazie", I told him. He looked at me strangely and said "Yup", making me laugh.

"What are you speaking?" Pony asked when Darry left.

"Italian", I shrugged, taking a sip of my water.

"Don't you only speak English and Spanish?"

"Well, my mom's pretty fluent in Italian since she grew up around it, so I know quite a bit too."

"Say something else", he insisted with a smile.

"Ti amo così tanto, amore mio. Buon anniversario", I told him.

He understood the basics of what I said because he responded in Spanish. "Te amo tambíen, mi amor. Feliz aniversario."

For over an hour, we ate and talked before the radio suddenly came on. _It must be Darry or Soda_ , I thought to myself with a small grin.

Pony stood up and came over to me, holding out his hand. "May I?"

"Of course", I smiled and took his hand, standing up myself.

My arms wrapped around his neck and I lay my head on his chest, while his arms hugged my waist.

We didn't really pay attention to the songs that were playing and just swayed along.

"I'd say this was a good anniversary, wouldn't you?" I said.

"Mm-hm", he hummed in agreement.

Not long after, it was time for me to go home. Pony ducked into the refrigerator and pulled out a small bouquet of white lilies, handing them to me.

"Lilies for my Lily", he smiled.

"Thank you, love", I giggled. "Should I get you a field of ponies for our next anniversary?"

"I don't think that's necessary", he chuckled.

"You goin', doll?" Soda asked as he walked into the kitchen, Darry following behind him.

"Yeah, I don't want my parents getting too concerned."

I walked over and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Soda."

"No problem, doll. It's what we do", he responded.

Then, I gave Darry a hug and thanked him too.

"Your welcome", he said, laughing a little.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next day was Labor Day, so I woke up late. In the afternoon, Anna and Henry went off to meet up with their respective friends and Mom and Dad went shopping.

A few hours after they all left, the door was opened and slammed shut and I was tackled by my sister.

"Well, hello there", I laughed, but instantly my smile went away when I saw her face. She was crying.

"Anna, what's wrong?"

She just shook her head against my chest.

"Anna,what's wrong", I repeated, putting a little firmness in my tone. It was the same one I had to use occasionally when I was teaching the girls and someone wasn't listening.

Anna continued to cry, her tears soaking through my shirt.

"Okay, Anna", I relented temporarily and rubbed her back. "Just let it out." Her arms clutched my waist.

After a few minutes, her crying had lessened to slight whimpering and the occasional tear.

"Anna", I started and shrunk down a bit to be at eye-level at her, "what happened?"

"I-I asked out T-Tommy Rivers…", she stuttered.

It was starting to make sense. "So, I'm guessing it didn't go well?"

She stepped towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I could feel her shake her head into my shoulder.

"Did he say something mean to you or are you just crying because he said no?" I asked.

"Just because he said no", she answered quietly. _The poor thing_ , I thought.

"Did he say why?"

"He doesn't like me like that", Anna muttered into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Annie."

"It's okay."

"If it wasn't meant to be, it just wasn't meant to be", I told her and rubbed her back. "You'll find someone. And, anyway, you're only twelve. You've got a lot of time."

"I know", she sighed. "I was just kinda hoping…"

"That he would say yes?" I finished.

She nodded.

"Not everyone finds love on the first try."

"You did", she pointed out.

"That's true, but I just got really lucky."

"You're tellin' me."

"I gotta go get ready for dance", I said, standing up and kissing her head. "If you need to talk, I'm always here."

"Okay", Anna said. "Thanks."

"I'm your sister", I smiled. "This is what I do."

The "Swan Lake" auditions that night went well, I felt, though I didn't find anything out until the next week. If we got in, practices would be Mondays and Thursdays for a few hours after my regular classes, which couldn't have been planned any better for me because of my work schedule.

The day after my auditions was my sixteenth birthday and per usual, I went to school and had a little family party. Everyone in the gang that didn't go to school sent their "happy birthday"s through Pony and Steve, which I appreciated. Ponyboy gave me a card with some pictures on it that he had drawn along with a tiny bouquet of the few wildflowers that were still alive in September, which he had picked on his way to my house.

The morning after I found out I got in, I pulled "a Ponyboy" and jumped on him out of excitement.

"Pony!" I shouted at him when I raced out of my house and attacked him.

He stumbled back and laughed, holding me in his arms. "What? What's happening?"

"I got in, Pony! I got in!"

Ashlynn already knew and we had had our freak-out the night before when we had both found out that we were in.

"That's great!" he exclaimed and gave me a hug.

"Ashlynn, get in here!" I commanded to which she complied with a chuckle.

"Were in the same number, you know", I said to Pony once we pulled away, "Ashlynn and I."

"Really? What is it?"

"Danse des petits cygnes", I told him.

"Again with the French?" he teased.

"Yes, 'again with the French' ", I mocked him jokingly.

"What does it mean?"

"Dance of the Little Swans."

"There are four of us in a line with our arms all intertwined and we dance", Ashlynn said to him.

He nodded with a grin at us. "Good job, y'all."

"Thank you", we both said.

"When's the show?"

"Around Christmas-time", I answered.

"Y'all excited?" Pony asked.

"Hell yeah, we are!" I exclaimed and gave Ashlynn a high-five.

"Good to know", he laughed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

XxXxXxXxXx

I had bitten off more than I could chew. Almost every day, I had work of some kind and if I didn't have work, I had practice and school, which wasn't getting any easier. Pony must have realized how stressed I was because one day we were in science class only a week and a half after I had started my new schedule, and he just randomly said, "I'm taking you out tomorrow."

"What?" I questioned, looking up from my paper.

"I said I'm taking you out tomorrow", he repeated, the start of a smile making the sides of his mouth begin to rise.

"Honey, that's awful sweet of you, but I got stuff to do tomorrow."

"Lily, darlin', you're stressed. You need a break", he argued and softly rubbed my hand.

"I know, but I still have stuff to do."

He held my hand as he thought. "I'll take you out Saturday night, then. After you get off work we can go to the movies or something. You don't have work the next day until twelve-thirty, so you'll be fine."

I pondered it for a minute before leaning tiredly against his shoulder. "That sounds nice, love. That sounds really nice."

The next day, when I got off work, Pony came and picked me up. I was really tired and I was yawning the entire way to the movie theater.

"You think you'll stay awake?" Pony laughed.

"I'll be fine soon when I get some caffeine", I shrugged.

Pony paid for our tickets, though I insisted on paying for the food and drinks: a soda and popcorn.

They were having a Richard Beymer mini-marathon with two of his movies being shown back-to-back. The movies were _The Diary of Anne Frank_ and _West Side Story_ , which I seen both of before and loved them. They were some of my favorites and Richard Beymer was one of my favorite actors.

"Did you know about this?" I asked.

"Maybe…", he said innocently, a smile spreading across his face, making one spread across mine too.

The first movie shown was _The Diary of Anne Frank_ and during all the scenes with Anne and Peter, I had a goofy, giddy smile on my face as I cuddled up to Pony.

"In still believe in spite of everything", I whispered along with the movie near the end, "that people are really good at heart." _The Diary of Anne Frank_ was also one of my favorite books, hence why I could quote it.

Ponyboy chuckled quietly as I spoke and kissed my head, pulling me closer to him.

When _West Side Story_ came on, I leaned over to Pony and whispered, "Maybe that's what you should do with the gang when you're tryin' to look tuff; the whole snapping thing."

He snorted and laughed under his breath. "Sure, and we'll start spontaneously breaking out into song and dance too."

"You see, now you're gettin' it", I laughed.

I could see him roll his eyes in the glow of the movie screen.

"Te adoro, Ponyboy", I told him as María said it to Tony.

"Te adoro, Lily", he repeated it back when Tony said it back to her.

As we walked back to my house, I started humming "I Feel Pretty". Pony looked down at me in amusement and twirled me around before waltzing me down the sidewalk.

"See?" I laughed. "I told you you'd start dancing down the streets!"

He laughed too and squatted down, gesturing for me to hop on his back.

"You sure about that? I'm pretty heavy."

Pony turned his head and tried to cock an eyebrow. "No, you're not, darlin'. Just get on my back. It'll be fine."

"Alright", I sighed, "you asked for it." And with that, I jumped on his back and hooked my arms around his neck. His arms held up my legs.

"Y'see? Everything's just peachy", Pony said.

"I guess you're right", I admitted.

"Aren't I always?"

"No", I told him teasingly, "no, you're not."

"At least let me have the delusion that I am."

"Fine, I'll give you that", I grinned and kissed his cheek.

Soon, we got to my house, where he put me down.

"Thanks for the ride, Horseman."

"I love you", he said and gave me a kiss.

"I love you too, honey", I told him, giving him a final peck on the lips before heading into my house.

XxXxXxXxXx

The anniversary of Johnny and Dally's deaths was on the twenty-fifth and the sky seemed just as depressed as we were, overcast and grey. It was obviously going to rain.

Everyone was somber the entire day, even Ashlynn who had never met either of the boys looked quite solemn. I, of course, rambled on about useless things the whole time, and Pony accepted it like he had the year before.

During lunch, we were outside of the school since there was a lull in the rain, the water that had been pouring down from the heavens calming to a drizzle where the rivulets occasionally dampened a spot on our clothes or hair. I was talking on about something or other, my boyfriend stuck to my side and me stuck to his when Steve suddenly burst.

"Goddammit, would you shut the hell up!" he yelled. "I'm done with your talking! We're all keeping to ourselves and bein' quiet and then you bust in with your damn blabber! It's like you're not even thinking about them!"

My teeth clenched. "Excuse me? What the hell did you just say to me?"

"I thought that I said it loud enough, but apparently you couldn't hear me over all that bull comin' outta your mouth!"

Evie and Ashlynn both looked shocked.

"Steve", Evie said quietly, touching her boyfriend's shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"No, she needs to know how stupid she's being. How she doesn't even seem fazed by all this. It's like she doesn't even care!"

"You asshole!" I screamed as I stormed up to him. "Are you really that stupid! Get your head out of your ass and get it through that damn skull of yours that I care. I care just as much as you do. You weren't there when Johnny died. _I was._ You didn't go into that damn church. _I did._ Do you know how much I regret that day? How much I regret not pulling Johnny out of that goddamn building with me? It kills me all the damn time that I didn't help him! Sure, maybe I didn't know them as long or as much as you did, but I still miss them and think about them every damn day. Did it ever occur to you that maybe all this 'damn blabber' is how I cope? That if I didn't do all think freaking talking, I would break? Maybe you should think about what the hell other people have gone through before complaining about something as stupid as talking! Screw you, Steve."

I had started crying early in my rant and by the end, I was sobbing. I ran across the schoolyard, getting caught in the rain that had once again picked up.

Eventually, I stopped and leaned against a tree at the end of the yard, continuing to cry. A few moments after I stopped running, Ponyboy caught up to me and rushed over, wrapping me in his arms. I bawled into his chest.

"Shh", he whispered in my ear, "I know, baby, I know. Shh. It's okay, baby. I'm right here."

I whimpered into his shirt and tried to calm my breathing.

"He didn't mean it, baby. People in mourning say stupid things. You remember what I said last year, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm", I hummed in response.

"He was just having one of those moments. He didn't mean what he said."

"I know. B-but it hurt. I do m-miss them. I miss them s-so much", I whispered, stuttering over my words.

"I know you do, baby", Pony soothed, bending down a bit so he could fully embrace my waist and rubbing my back. "We all do."

We stayed like that for a while, his arms around my waist and mine securely wrapped around his neck. The sound of rain pattered against the leaves and sidewalks and the drops that made it through the branches fell on Pony and I.

I eventually calmed down and just stood there, wishing that I could just stay in his arms and breathe in the smell of his cologne mixed with the rain.

Ponyboy pulled away slightly so he could look down at my face. "You wanna go talk to him?"

"Not really, but I will", I sighed and grabbed his hand.

He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb before we sprinted across the schoolyard in the rain to Steve, Evie, and Ashlynn.

Evie and Ashlynn were both chastising him and the latter was glaring daggers.

They all shut up when Pony and I walked over and Steve walked towards us sheepishly.

"Can I…?" he trailed off.

"Yeah", I said and smiled lightly at Pony to tell him that I would be okay without him as I talked to Steve.

"I…I'm real sorry, Lily", Steve told me and looked down at his scuffed up shoes. "I wasn't thinkin' and It's been a hard day and my temper got the best'a me. I know you miss 'em; we all do. You didn't do nothin' wrong and you didn't deserve that."

I sighed and looked up at him. His dark green eyes showed his sincerity.

"I forgive you", I told him. "I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"All that stuff that I said to you back there…", I said shyly.

"You don't have to be sorry for that, doll. I deserved it", he admitted. "Hell, you can punch me if you want. I'd deserve that too."

I smiled a little and lightly punched him in the arm, not really wanting to hurt him.

"C'mon, you can do better than that", he egged on, a smirk making its way onto his face.

"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Positive", he confirmed.

"Okay…", I said before winding up and punching him hard in the arm, making him yelp.

"Are you okay?" I exclaimed.

Steve just laughed and rubbed his arm gingerly. "I'm fine, don't you worry. Damn, you got one hell of a hit."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"It'll bruise, but I'll be good. Nothin' a little ice can't solve."

I walked over and gave him a hug, making him stiffen momentarily before hugging me back and giving me a platonic kiss on the cheek.

When we went over to Ashlynn, Pony, and Evie, they looked at us.

"Well?" Ashlynn asked.

"We've buried the hatchet", I answered. "There's no use in holding a grudge."

Pony came over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, kissing my head.

That was when the bell rang, signaling that we had to get back to class and making us all go our respective ways.

When we went to the graves after school, Ashlynn and I had to leave early so we could get to dance. I wished I could be there for the entire time with the gang, but I was just too busy and couldn't be late.

XxXxXxXxXx

We visited the graves again on Dally's birthday like we had on Johnny's about 8 months before and when Thanksgiving Break came along a few weeks later, I was happy for the time off.

"I just need a while to recuperate", I said to Pony on the first day of break. Neither of us had work and I didn't have dance.

"You can say that again", he sighed.

"Isn't Thursday the last game of the season?" I asked. Our team was playing some other team for the Thanksgiving game.

"Yeah. I really like football, but I can't wait for it to be over. I need some time that's not spent playing sports or working."

"Me too", I told him before getting an idea. "Why don't we just not do anything?"

"What?"

"During the break, we just do nothing at all except be lazy."

"I like that idea", he said before shifting and wincing.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin', Princess." He was lying.

"Ponyboy, you're lying and we both know it", I said and gave him a look.

He maintained eye-contact with me for a bit before figuring out that I wasn't about to give in and relenting.

"I'm just sore from playin' football. I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not, love. I just saw you wince", I pushed. "Where is it worst?"

"My shoulders", he sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win.

I moved and sat on the back of the couch behind him.

"What're you doin', Princess?"

"Just relax", I told him and started massaging his tense shoulders.

He moaned, making Soda and Steve run in from the kitchen.

"No funny business on the couch!" Soda exclaimed.

"There's no 'funny business' goin' on here, Soda", I laughed.

"What the hell's goin' on here, anyway?" Steve asked.

"Your brother is sore from football, so I'm massaging his shoulders."

"Ain't that funny…", Soda trailed off.

"What?" Pony asked with a small groan.

"I do the same thing to Darry when he pulls a muscle. Guess I don't have'ta worry 'bout doin' it to you", he laughed. "You got Lily, here."

I rolled my eyes at him as a smile tugged at my lips. "Okay. All is well. Y'all can go back to your card game now."

"Will do", Soda chirped and ran back into the kitchen, Steve following behind.

"Feelin' better, honey?" I questioned.

"Glory, am I ever", Pony sighed and sucked in a breath when I pressed down on a particularly tight spot right at the place where his shoulder met his neck.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. That's just a real sore spot."

"Well, there's a real tight knot there, so I'm gonna do it again. If it hurts too bad, just tell me", I said and proceeded to rub the spot again, causing him to deeply groan.

I continued working out the kink, rubbing it for a few minutes until it loosened up.

Pony sighed in relief. "Damn, that feels good."

"Glad to know that", I laughed a little.

"How do you know how to do this so well?"

"You get cramps all the time in ballet, so you learn pretty quickly how to massage them out", I shrugged.

"Even if you stretch beforehand?"

"Even if you stretch beforehand", I repeated in conformation.

"Damn", he muttered. "That's tuff."

"Thanks", I laughed. "How're your shoulders feeling now?"

"Great", he said and leaned his head back so it rested on my knees.

"Good", I smiled and kissed his forehead.

"How's the stuff for "Swan Lake" been goin'?"

"It's going well. It's hard and exhausting, but it'll pay off in the end. It makes me stronger anyhow."

He tried arching an eyebrow, which looked ever weirder since his face was upside down. "Stronger?"

"Yeah. We do lots of exercises to make us stronger and they say to do stuff at home too. Planks and barre stretching and stuff."

"Like stretching at Buck's or something?"

"No", I laughed. "Not like that. B-A-R-R-E. It's like a railing that you hold onto and put your leg on during exercises."

"What are these exercises?"

He still looked confused, so I sighed and moved his head off of my legs, looking around the room for something that was about the same height as a barre. Eventually, I figured that I would use the top of the armchair. I lifted my leg onto it and pointed my toes as much as possible in Converse.

"What on earth are you-?" Pony started, but cut himself off when he saw me practically doing the splits, one leg on the chair while the other was on the floor.

I moved that leg off the chair and put the other one up to stretch it as well.

"Jesus Christ", he muttered, causing me to laugh.

"How're you doin' over there, honey?" I chuckled and took my leg down.

"Are you okay? Is that normal?"

"Yes, it's normal", I laughed. "And I'm fine. My leg is supposed to look like that when I stretch."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure", I assured Pony as I sat on the couch next to him.

 **Hey guys! My summer work is done, so hopefully I'll be able to update more before school starts up again. I'm going to be happy to see friends again, but I'm not particularly excited for the lack of sleep that is sure to come. While I was writing the anniversary part, I didn't really realize what I was going to write until I got to it and I squeaked. I don't really know why I squeaked at my own writing, but I did. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	7. Chapter 7

When Thanksgiving came a couple days later, my family and I had an earlier-than-usual dinner. They had wanted to see one of Ponyboy's football games since he joined the team, but the days just hadn't worked until then, so we were all going after dinner.

"So what number is he again?" Dad questioned. He loved football (especially the Patriots) and got really excited when he found out that Pony was on the team.

"Twenty-three", I answered. "Did you not see the giant number on the back of the jersey I'm wearing?"

"Oh yeah", he said. "Forgot about that."

Mom rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face.

"How is he?" Henry asked.

"I'd say he's really good", I told him, "but you'll have to judge for yourself."

It had been decided that that night, I would stay over the Curtis' house, which I hadn't done in ages because of my schedule. My bag was sitting on my lap.

We pulled into the parking lot and saw the gang and their girlfriends waiting.

"Let's get in before there aren't any seats left", Darry said.

We all unanimously agreed and walked into the bleachers, eventually finding enough seats for all of us and sitting down.

The cheerleaders were practicing at the edge of the field and I could easily spot Cherry's bright red hair amongst all the blondes and brunettes.

Soon, the players rushed out of the locker room, much to the enjoyment of us spectators. Everyone in our group, even Evie, started screaming and cheering.

Both teams got in position and the center snapped the ball back to the quarterback. The game had started.

Whenever our team got points, our side flew into a adrenaline-fueled frenzy and when the other team got one, they went ballistic.

It took almost 2 hours, but we eventually won, triggering everyone from our side to rush on the field and huddle around the players.

When the mob parted enough for me to see Ponyboy, I ran over to him and hugged him before he could notice me.

"You did amazing!" I exclaimed.

A smile broke across his face when he realized it was me. He picked me up and spun me around, making me laugh.

When he stopped spinning me, he looked at me for a moment before kissing me. I normally would have cared that he was all hot and sweaty, but in that moment, I couldn't really have cared less. I even found it kind of attractive.

Someone cleared their throat behind us, causing us to pull apart. Dad was staring at us with an arched eyebrow. Pony and I both flushed a deep shade of red.

We were swarmed by the gang, their girlfriends, and my family, who all sung Ponyboy's praises.

"Thanks, y'all", he laughed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"You did real good, son", Dad said and clapped his shoulder.

Pony looked startled for a moment before smiling and speaking back. "Thank you, Mr. Smith."

It went on like that for a good 15 minutes before we decided that it would be best to get going. We trickled back to our cars, me going back to my parents' to grab my bag and say goodnight to them. I walked over to the gang's cars to see Pony in the front seat of the truck with a smirk on his face.

"So you're drivin'?" I smiled.

"You bet I am. Hop in."

I got into the passenger seat and strapped myself in, hearing Darry cautioning Pony in a million different ways from the backseat.

"Dar, I'll be fine", Pony assured him, looking at his oldest brother through the rearview mirror. "I've done this before."

"Alright", Darry sighed, making me laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ponyboy asked as he pulled out.

"It's just the fact that we're in the front and we're the youngest and Darry's in the back and he's the oldest", I grinned.

"Oh, hardy-har-har", Darry said sarcastically, but I could tell he was smiling.

When we got back to the Curtis', Pony immediately ducked into the bathroom to take a shower. He came out a few minutes later and I went in. I hadn't done much that day, but I was kind of tired, so I was quick with my shower and scurried into Pony's room to get dressed.

He was lounging on his bed with a book in his hands when I walked in. Looking up, Pony saw me in a towel and blushed, quickly bringing the book up in front of his face so he couldn't see me get dressed.

"Thanks, love", I told him with a slight laugh as I got dressed.

"No problem, Princess", he said, his voice muffled by the book.

A minute later, I was dressed and drying my hair with the towel. "You can look now."

Pony took the book down and looked at me, staring for a bit.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked.

"Because I love you", he answered simply.

"I love you too", I smiled and started brushing out my hair.

"D'you have work tomorrow?"

"Yep", I chirped as I worked out a particularly tough knot.

"How're you likin' the teaching?"

"The girls are the sweetest little things and they say the funniest questions."

"Like what?"

"The first day, one of them asked me and Melissa how long we've been dancing and we both said fifteen-years. Then Rebecca said we were old", I laughed. "Are you coming to "Swan Lake"?"

"I'm planning on it", he told me. "Why?"

"I dunno. I just like it when you come", I said and leaned against him.

"Well, I like coming", he grinned and kissed my temple.

"I'm really proud of you, honey. You know that, right?"

He blushed. "Thanks darlin'."

"I'm keepin' your jersey, you know."

"I wouldn't want anything else", he smiled.

XxXxXxXxXx

About three weeks later, it was the day of the show. I did my hair and makeup at my house and took my costume with me, carrying it on my lap during the drive to the venue.

Since we only had one little part, we were in the corps de ballet for the swans during the rest of the performance, so we would be performing the entire time.

My makeup for the first part was light and as natural as you could get with stage makeup. My costume for that was a flowy, medieval-looking with dress embellishment with a flower crown attached to a small veil My second costume (and the one that I would wear the most) was a pure white outfit with a pancake tutu made of tulle to look like feathers and faux feathers scattered around bust. There was also a feather headpiece. The makeup for that was dramatic with dark eyes and bright red lips which would contrast my costume. My third costume was a little like the first one, except that it was longer and more regal-looking. We also had a tiara that went with it. The makeup for that would be the same as the first makeup as well.

The venue was the same location that we used for our regular recitals, so when we got there, I made a beeline for the dressing room that I always went to and got ready, some other girls doing the same. Ashlynn showed up a few minutes later.

"How is it that you're always late?" I teased.

"I dunno. Why are you always early?" she laughed.

Everyone in the corps de ballet, along with some more namable characters crowded into the wings. The music began and everything started.

Almost two hours later, we were all taking our curtain calls. I curtsied to the audience with Ashlynn and the two other girls in "Danse des petits cygnes", drowning in the applause. A bright smile couldn't help but make its way onto my face as we bowed.

Soon after, we all went back to our dressing rooms and changed. Ashlynn and I came out and walked to where we would be meeting our families and Soda and Pony.

The Curtis boys were looking for us amongst all the other dancers while the adults and the twins were talking and when they saw us, they rushed at us and gave us huge hugs.

Pony swung me around, making me laugh.

He kissed my cheek when he put me down. "You did amazing, darlin'."

"Thanks, honey", I smiled and kissed his cheek as well, leaving a very obvious red lipstick mark.

"What're you smirkin' about?" he asked. A smirk of his own was playing on his lips.

"Nothin', love", I told him as I tried to hold back a laugh.

He just rolled his eyes and pulled me into a hug.

Ashlynn and I's families quickly realized that we had arrived, and hurried over to us, congratulating us over and over again and gushing over our performance

I leaned up against Pony while he wrapped an arm around me. "So how'd you like 'Swan Lake'?"

"It took me a little while to figure out the story, but once I got it, it was really great. Soda actually stayed fairly still most of the time. Prob'ly for Ashlynn's sake and because he was always looking for her on stage."

"And because there was usually something happening", I added.

"Yeah, that definitely contributed too", Pony admitted.

As I looked over at Ashlynn and Soda, it was obvious that they were in love. They just made each other incredibly happy. It had concerned her for a while that he hadn't said "I love you" yet to her, and I reassured her constantly that he did love her, but since Sandy broke his heart, it was more difficult for him to trust. After a time, she accepted that it was hard for him and dropped it. A little over a year after they started dating, he finally said it and she said it back. She admitted to me on our walk to school a couple days later that she almost started crying when he said it.

XxXxXxXxXx

Christmas and New Year's came and passed, as did Darry's birthday. The winter was a good time for me since my wearing long sleeves all the time wouldn't be questioned. I was still insecure about my scars. Wearing makeup on my arm was helpful, but it got annoying, always making sure it isn't rubbing off and whatnot, so I usually preferred just wearing long sleeves.

One day in February, Ponyboy had a Friday night off from work, so he offered to walk me to work.

"I'll be back to pick you up", he said.

"You can stay, you know", I offered. "I'm sure Madame Evelyn wouldn't mind, especially the girls have never performed on front of an audience before."

He looked hesitant. "Are you sure? I don't wanna get you in trouble, darlin'."

"You'll be fine", I soured him. "Do you want to come in with and ask? Would that make you feel better?"

Pony nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. Kinda."

"Okay. C'mon", I said and tugged him in by his hand.

The woman at the desk waved to me as always, but them looked at me strangely. "Who's that?" she mouthed.

"My boyfriend", I mouthed back.

She nodded in understanding and smiled a little bit at me, then Pony.

We walked to the classroom and I poked my head in to see Madame Evelyn looking through the vinyl next to the record player.

"Madame?" I said to get her attention.

"Oh, hello, dear. Who's that?" she asked, leaning to see Pony who was shying behind me a bit.

"This is my boyfriend. We'd like to know if he can stay here and possibly watch the lesson and class?"

"Of course. The girls will probably perform better in front of an audience", she smiled before looking at Pony. "You can come in, you know, dear. I don't bite."

He looked at me and I laughed and led him into the room.

"Madame Evelyn, this is my boyfriend, Ponyboy Curtis. Pony, this is Madame Evelyn, my teacher."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Ponyboy", she told him as she shook his hand. "I've heard so much about you."

"You too, ma'am", Pony responded.

"The girls will be coming in soon and Melissa should be here momentarily", she said and went back to looking through her records.

Ponyboy went to the bathroom while I got ready. Melissa came not a minute later.

"You brought your boyfriend?" she laughed when I told her that Pony was there.

"Yep."

"Is that allowed?"

"Madame Evelyn said it was", I shrugged.

"Maybe I'll bring mine in at some point. It'll be like show-and-tell."

"Exactly", I smiled.

Melissa, Pony, and I went into the room, she and I bringing our bags with us and setting them down underneath the mirror.

"When I found out that I didn't have to work today, this isn't what I expected I'd be doin' ", Pony told me as he sat down on the floor.

"Well, now you get to spend more time with me", I said and sat down next to him.

"That's very true", he grinned and kissed my head. "And there's no one I'd rather spend my free time with."

I blushed and kissed his cheek before standing back up for when the girls came in, which they did soon after. When the first person in their group saw Pony on the floor, she stopped short, causing everyone else to pile up behind her.

"Who's that?" Tessa asked.

"This is my boyfriend, Ponyboy", I told them and motioned for him to stand up, which he did.

Amy looked skeptically at him. "Your real name's 'Ponyboy'?"

He smirked and knelt down so he was at her height. "Yep. I gotta brother named 'Sodapop' too."

"Really?" Maria asked.

"Really", he nodded.

Lacy tugged on my skirt and I bent down to listen to her.

"Is he Prince Charming?" she asked quietly.

I couldn't help but laugh. "He's _my_ Prince Charming."

Her blue eyes widened. "You're Cinderella?"

"No, I don't think so, sweetie", I smiled.

She nodded, ran over to Pony, and tugged on his hand. He squatted down and she spoke into his ear, making him laugh and look over at me before nodding and saying something back to her.

After a few minutes of chaos, Pony walked over to me and whispered into my ear, "Care to explain why a girl came over to me, called me Prince Charming, and asked me if you were Cinderella?"

"She asked me if you were Prince Charming and when I said that you were my Prince Charming, she asked if I was Cinderella and I said no."

"Well, we might have a problem then."

"And what's that?"

"I told her that you were", he smiled and kissed my cheek.

During the ballet portion of the class, the girls somehow managed to get Pony over to the barre (lots of puppy-dog eyes were involved). He stood there awkwardly, his 6-foot-stature towering over the girls as he tried to follow along with the lesson.

I was laughing so hard, I was almost crying. Just watching him attempt to plié, relevé, and do the 5 basic positions was enough to send Madame Evelyn, Melissa, and I into hysterics and the girls into fits of giggles. He was good-humored about the whole thing though, laughing along with us and admitting several times that he wasn't good at it and that football and track were more up his alley.

There was a moment when I went over to Shirley and fixed her feet. She always mixed up third and fifth position.

"Remember, sweetie, third position is in the middle of your foot. Fifth position is at your toe", I explained, moving her feet to the positions as I said them.

"Okay. Thank you, Miss Lily", she said and stared down at her feet, moving them from third to fifth and back again several times.

"Your welcome, Shirley", I smiled and lightly tugged on one of her curls.

When I turned to see if my boyfriend was miserably failing at ballet once again, seeing him looking down at his feet with a confused expression.

"Do I really have to keep doin' this?" he asked. He looked quite uncomfortable in his attempted first position. His feet were in the right place, but his legs were bent and he was hunched over a bit. He looked like he would topple over any second.

"Of course not", I laughed. "You can go ahead and sit down, though I can't guarantee that the girls won't get you back up again soon."

"Darlin', they did the puppy-dog eyes!" he exclaimed. "How can you resist the puppy-dog eyes?"

"When you have little siblings, you learn to compose yourself around them pretty quickly. Darry probably knows that same thing."

"You heartless monster", he teased.

"If I am, the what are you?"

"A guy who loves a heartless monster", he laughed.

"Gee, thanks, honey. You're really boosting my self-esteem."

"You know I love you", Pony smiled.

"I love you too", I grinned back.

The girls practiced their ballet dance for the show and the ballet part of the class was soon finished and we moved on to tap. Pony sat out for that.

Most of the girls were better at ballet than tap, so Madame Evelyn, Melissa, and I were all helping someone at one point or another.

"Okay, Jackie", I started, "when you do a shuffle, you have to make sure you can hear both sounds."

She looked up at me with her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"Like this,", I said before demonstrating. "See? If you remember to make a sound going forward and coming back, you'll be just fine."

Jackie hesitantly brushed her foot forward, the metal on the shoe's bottom clicking on the hardwood floor before brushing it back, the same noise happening.

"There you go, sweetie. That's exactly it", I told her.

We added on to their tap dance and they practiced the routine along with the new steps a few times and seemed to be getting it wonderfully.

"Can you do pointe?" Rebecca asked Melissa and I. Sometimes if there was enough time at the end of a lesson, we would do some things on pointe for them. They always loved it.

"Do we have time?" Melissa asked Madame Evelyn.

"Yes, I think we do", she nodded.

Melissa and I went over to our bags and put a little wrapping around our feet before slipping on our shoes and tying them up.

"What do you want us to do?" I questioned the girls.

"'Swan Lake'!", Amy insisted.

"I'll put the waltz on", Madame Evelyn said and went over to her records, pulling one out and placing it on the record player.

We did the first couple minutes of the waltz that we did in "Swan Lake" and the girls stared at us in awe the entire time, causing us both to smile widely. When I looked over at Pony, I saw that he was looking at me the same way, a goofy smile stretched out over his face.

When we were done, the girls had to leave. They all curtsied to before leaving in the huddle in which they had come. Melissa and I quickly changed into our regular clothes.

Ponyboy wrapped an arm around my waist as we too left the building.

"So, how're you feelin' now that you stayed?" I asked.

"Honestly, I expected it to be worse", he said. "But you were particularly great."

"Why?"

"You're just really great with 'em. It was cute watchin' you."

"Thanks, honey", I said, starting to blush a little bit.

"Is that my sweatshirt?" he suddenly questioned.

I looked down to see the sweatshirt that he had given to me over a year before. "Yep."

"The one you wore to hide the hickey?"

"Yep. Do you want it back?" I asked, moving to take it off.

"No, you can keep it", Pony told me with a smile. "It looks better on you than it ever did on me."

"I somehow doubt that, stud", I told him, knowing it would make him blush (which it most certainly did).

Pony's cheeks and ears were tinted pink, but he laughed nonetheless. "I ain't a stud and you know it."

"You're _my_ stud", I responded, leaning up and giving him a kiss.

XxXxXxXxXx

Months after my birthday, I finally got my license. I had wanted to get it since I turned 16, but I never had the time with school, work and dance.

"You can finally drive me around", Pony laughed when I excitedly told him the news.

"Admit it, you like driving me around", I teased.

"Who ever said I didn't?"

It wasn't like I had a car of my own, but I drove the family car whenever the opportunity arose and occasionally I drove Darry's truck or Two-Bit's car. Steve wouldn't let anyone near his car; a 1955 Ford Thunderbird that had been up for sale in a Soc's yard, claimed to be broken beyond repair. Parts were missing and both the interior and exterior were debatable in looks, but eventually, with bits and bobs he found in the junkyard or had been removed from previous cars at the DX, he souped up the car and got it in working condition again. It was his prized possession, which I had only seen Evie, Soda, and Steve himself behind the wheel of.

A few days after we made our tri-annual trip to Johnny and Dally's graves (that particular one for Johnny's birthday), Ponyboy drove up in front of my house in Darry's truck, smiling like the cat that caught the canary. Ashlynn was in the back seat.

"Ponyboy Michael, did you steal your brother's truck?" I asked him.

"No I didn't, Lily Grace", he teased. "Darry's got a day off."

"How?"

"His bosses said that they decided to give him the day off just because, but we all know they're just bein' cheap and figured that givin' him the day off would save them some money."

"Got it", I nodded. "So, you get the car for the day?"

"Exactly, my dear. Now c'mon in."

I hopped into the passenger seat and put my bag at my feet as I got strapped in.

"Pony, put on the radio", Ashlynn told him.

"Yes, ma'am", he teased, but did as she said before starting to drive.

 _Ain't No Mountain High Enough_ started, causing us all to burst into song.

"Listen, baby", Pony sang. "Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby."

"If you need me, call me, no matter where you are. No matter how far", Ashlynn and I sang Tammi Terrell's part.

"Don't worry, baby", he crooned along with Marvin Gaye and nudged me a little with his elbow.

"Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry", Ashlynn and I sang before we all sang along to the chorus.

"…'Cause, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me away from you, baby", Pony, Ashlynn, and I burst out as we drove down the street, continuing to sing until the song ended.

"We should do this more often", Ashlynn laughed when we got to school.

"When one of us gets our own car, then we'll talk", I told her.

She rolled her eyes. "How do you know I don't already have my own car?"

"Ash, I've known you since we were two. I would've known if you got your own car."

"Point taken", she nodded with a smile as she got out of the truck.

"So, darlin', how're you feelin' about the big ACT next week?" Pony asked, getting out of the truck, locking it, and shoving the keys into his pocket before wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Terrified", I responded, shuddering for dramatic effect.

He laughed and kissed my temple. "You'll do just fine and you know it."

"Do I really, though?"

"Yes you do. You'll do fine and I'll do fine and our unbelievably amazing test scores will make headlines across the country and we'll get into our dream colleges and live happily ever after."

Ashlynn and I laughed at his vision.

"Is that so?" I questioned.

"Yes. I say it is, and therefore it is."

"Your word is gospel, O Great One", Ashlynn teased, bending down at the waist in front of him as though bowing.

XxXxXxXxXx

A couple weeks later during lunch, Evie excused herself, Ashlynn, and I and practically dragged us inside the school and into the one-stalled girls' bathroom.

"What's up?" Ashlynn asked.

"Is something-" I was cut off by Evie turning green and kneeling in front of the toilet where she proceeded to throw up.

"Evie!" Ashlynn and I both exclaimed and dropped down next to her. I held back her hair while Ashlynn rubbed her back.

After a minute or so, Evie stopped and sat down on the tile floor, her back against the wall.

"Evie, what's going on?" I asked frantically.

"I've been getting sick for the past few days", she answered. "At first, I thought it was just the flu or somethin', but I ain't never had a flu like this."

"What do you think it is?" Ashlynn asked.

Evie's voice became quiet as she answered. "I think-I think I might be pregnant."

"Pregnant?!" Ashlynn exclaimed, causing Evie and I to both shush her.

"Yeah, Ash, pregnant", Evie whispered.

"And it's Steve's, right?" I questioned.

"Of course it's Steve's!" Evie told me.

"How far along do you think you are?"

"I dunno."

"We can go to the doctor's after school", Ashlynn said.

"What'll we tell the boys? They'll know something's up."

"We'll say we're goin' shopping or whatever", I said.

"But, Lil, you hate shoppin'", Ashlynn reminded me.

"Do you have a better idea?" I hissed frustratedly.

"No", she admitted. "Just act like we're draggin' you shopping. Like you don't really want to come."

"Good idea."

We all headed back out to the school lawn where the boys were leaning against a tree, Steve smoking a cigarette. I saw Evie's eyes widen at this, so I cut in.

"Steve, could you please put that out? The smell is nauseating."

He rolled his eyes, but put out the cigarette, crushing it with his shoe.

"We're goin' shopping after school", Ashlynn said.

"But you hate shopping darlin'" Pony told me.

"I know, but they're insistin' on dragging me", I lied.

"Don't y'all have work?" he questioned.

"We won't be out for long", Evie said as she took a small sip of her water. She hadn't eaten anything for lunch. "Could you drop us of downtown, Steve?"

"Sure, babe", he agreed.

So after school that day, we all piled into Steve's car with Evie riding shotgun and Pony, Ashlynn, and I in the back. He dropped us off downtown and would be going back to the Curtises for a bit before getting himself and Pony to work.

"Okay", I said once they were out of sight. "Let's go."

We all jogged to the clinic and went in

"May I help y'all?" the receptionist asked.

"Yes", I told her and went up to the front desk with Ashlynn and Evie. "She", I started, putting a hand on Evie's shoulder, "needs a pregnancy test."

"Alright, I'll get a nurse", the receptionist said and walked into another room.

Evie looked white as a ghost and I could feel her shaking a bit under my hand.

"Evie", I told her, taking hold of both her shoulders and looking into her eyes since with her 5-inch heels, we were the same height, "you'll be fine, okay? Whatever happens, you'll be fine."

She took a deep, quivering breath. "But what if-what if Steve gets mad? What if he leaves me and the baby?"

"He won't leave you or get mad", Ashlynn assured her. "He loves you and if you're pregnant, he'll love the baby too. It's all gonna be just fine."

Evie nodded, but it was obvious that she didn't totally believe us.

That was when the receptionist came back with a nurse.

"This is the nurse. She'll be giving you your test."

"Follow me", the nurse said and the three of us stepped forward. "All of you're takin' pregnancy tests?"

"No, just me", Evie told her nervously before gesturing to us. "They're my friends."

"Okay", the nurse nodded and led us all to a room, gesturing to a chair. "Miss, you can sit here. I'm gonna take some of your blood, so I'll have to ask you to take your jacket off."

Evie stripped off her jean jacket and Ashlynn and I each took one of her hands.

The nurse rustled through a cabinet, pulling out some things.

"What's your name, dear?"

"Evie."

"Full name, I mean."

"Evie Rivers."

"Now since you're taking a pregnancy test, I'm assuming you've been sexually active?" she asked Evie.

"Yes, ma'am."

"How long have you been with him?"

"Three-and-a-half years."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"And him?"

"Almost twenty."

"Alright, Evie, I'm going to be putting a needle into your vein. It'll feel like a sharp scratch and shouldn't take too long."

"Okay", Evie responded in a shaky voice.

The nurse came over and looked at Evie's arms, tapping different places on the inside to get a vein. During her questioning of Evie, she had taken everything she needed out and washed her hands several times.

She rubbed some rubbing alcohol on Evie's arm and once again washed her hands before pulling on some gloves and grabbing a needle. Evie's eyes widened and she clenched my hand tightly.

"Evie, dear, I'm gonna need you to relax your arm."

Evie did as she said, but still kept my hand in hers as the nurse put the needle in.

We all just stayed in place, not speaking until the blood-taking was done.

"You're all done, Evie", the nurse told her and put a cotton ball and some gauze on her arm. "Come back tomorrow for your results."

"Thank you, ma'am", she said weakly.

The three of us walked out of the clinic, bags slung over our shoulders.

"Let's go get a quick bite to eat before work", I suggested.

Ashlynn and Evie agreed, so we went to the diner where Ashlynn worked. It would make it easier since she wouldn't have to go anywhere after we ate.

We all nibbled from the communal basket of fried in the middle of the table.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly.

"What?" Evie questioned.

"If you're pregnant, do you want a girl or a boy?" I said, my voice hushed.

"I don't really care. If I'm pregnant, the gender of the baby isn't my biggest concern."

"You've got a point", I admitted.

"I'm so scared", Evie whispered, her lip wobbling. I moved from my booth across the table and into the one she and Ashlynn were occupying.

"It's okay, sweetie", I told her. "You'll be okay."

She started crying, tears dribbling down her cheeks, leaving streaks in her perfectly done makeup. Ashlynn and I both engulfed her in a hug.

"Evie, you'll be okay", Ashlynn assured her. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"That's what I hope", Evie responded, wiping under her eyes carefully with a napkin.

"If you're pregnant, you can't keep workin' at the Dingo", I told her. "It's just not safe."

Evie worked at the Dingo as a waitress, which Steve hated since she was constantly getting it on and there were always violent fights going on. In short, it was no place for an expectant mother.

"Where would you suggest I work then? With a baby, I'll need a hell of a lot more money and if Steve stays with me, we'll need more money than just his job at the DX pays."

"You can come work with me and Lizzie here at the diner", Ashlynn offered.

"Or you can work with me at the bookstore", I said.

Evie sighed. "I guess we'll figure all that out tomorrow."

XxXxXxXxXx

The next day after school, we claimed to be going shopping again since "I found a dress I liked and wanted to try it on".

When Steve's car was gone, we once again went down to the clinic, this time running as fast as we could.

We burst through the doors, making the receptionist jump out of her skin.

"Sorry, ma'am", I told her. "We're here for her pregnancy test results." I gestured to Evie as I talked.

"Yes, of course", the receptionist said, looking at us skeptically before shuffling through some files. "What's your name, dear?"

"Evie Rivers", she said, her voice strained.

"Ah, yes, here we go", the receptionist said, pulling out a file and handing it to Evie. "You can go sit down and read it over."

Evie, Ashlynn, and I walked over to the waiting room chairs, Evie going slowly as to delay the inevitable. When she finally sat down, she opened the file sluggishly and scanned over it, her eyes widening and her hand clamping over her mouth.

"Evie, what is it?", I asked frantically. "What does it say?"

"I'm pregnant", she whispered.

 **Hey, guys! Sorry for the cliffhanger of sorts, but I'll probably be getting the next chapter up soon enough that you won't be worrying for too long. I'm trying to get as many of these done as possible before school starts because I know I won't have much time when it does. I accidentally forgot to put in translations for the last chapter, so here you go:**

" **Noi stiamo bene. Che cos'é questo?"- "We're fine. What is this?"**

" **Grazie"- "Thank you"**

" **Ti amo così tanto, amore mio. Buon anniversario"- "I love you so much, my love. Happy anniversary."**

" **Te amo tambíen, mi amor. Feliz aniversario."- "I love you too, my love. Happy anniversary."**

 **I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	8. Chapter 8

Evie was about a month-and-a-half pregnant and was freaking out. When she read the results, she started crying and shaking. Ashlynn and I went hysterical trying to comfort her and it took a while, but eventually we got her into a somewhat stable condition.

It took a month for her to finally work up the nerve to tell Steve. Ironically, it ended up being around Steve's birthday when this confidence growth took place. On his actual birthday, we all went over to the Curtis house for a small party in the late morning and early afternoon. It was Spring Break, so we didn't have school, but we had work and Ashlynn and I had dance. Soda had taken half the day off. Everyone was there, even Rachel and Ruth.

The entire party, I saw Evie ringing her hands and bouncing her leg out of anxiety, the latter causing her heel to constantly click on the ground. Once she asked me to some to the bathroom with her and threw up, though because of nerves or morning sickness, I wasn't sure.

Everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves the whole day, though Evie, Ashlynn, and I were a little off.

"You okay, darlin'?" Pony asked me at one point and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Yeah, I'm fine", I told him, but I could tell he didn't believe me.

"What's really wrong?"

"You'll find out soon", I said quietly. "But nothing's necessarily 'wrong'."

He looked at me strangely, but kissed my temple and believed me.

We ate cake and went into the living room to open presents soon after that. Steve was in the middle of opening up Soda's present when from her spot next to him on the couch, Evie blurted out, "Steve, I'm pregnant".

Everyone froze, especially Steve. His mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant, Steve", Evie whispered. "And it's yours."

He stared at her for a minute before dropping to one knee and taking her hands.

"Marry me."

This time it was Evie's turn to be shocked. "What?"

"I know this seems really sudden and I don't even have a ring, but I love you more than anything in the world and we're going to be parents together so, Evelyn Margaret Rivers, will you marry me?"

"Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life", he responded, looking into her eyes.

"Yes", she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you, Steve."

We all cheered as Steve jumped up onto the couch and kissed her lovingly.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" Steve yelled after the kiss, jumping up onto his feet and running over to Sodapop who he tackled in a hug. "I'm gonna be a dad, Soda!"

"You're gonna be a dad!" Soda laughed and hugged his best friend back.

The next few minutes were filled with "congratulations" to both of the expectant parents from everyone.

"Did you know about this?" Pony asked me suspiciously, a smirk on his face.

"Maybe", I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"How?"

"When we said we were going shopping a few weeks ago, we were really going to the clinic. We've known since then."

"And none of you told us?"

"Evie was scared and she isn't work up the courage to say anything until now."

"I love you", he told me.

"I love you too, honey. And I always will."

"I thought that was my line", he laughed.

"Well, maybe I like it enough to steal it", I smiled.

"Well, maybe I love you enough to _let_ you use it instead of having you go through all the trouble of stealing it", he teased.

"Maybe", I said.

"Now, a toast to the new parents and engagees, Steve and Evie!" Two-Bit yelled as he passed around beers, even giving them to Pony and I (but not Evie, obviously). We and I just looked at Darry, who nodded with a smile and made a "go ahead" gesture. A bottle opener was passed around as well, Pony opening both of our drinks.

"Hear, hear!" Two-Bit cheered and raised his bottle, us all repeating his chant and me throwing in a "mazel tav!" before raising our bottles as well and drinking.

I scrunched up my face when the bitter liquid hit my tongue. "Ugh!"

Ponyboy laughed at me and took the bottle, which I handed him. "Bitter?"

"Goddamn, that's awful!" I exclaimed.

That was when everyone else laughed at me, making me laugh with them. A moment later, I was brought a glass of water by Ruth.

"Thanks", I said and carefully took the glass.

"No problem", she laughed.

The taste of beer still lingered as I drank the water, but became much less obvious fairly quickly.

"So beer's not for you?" Two-Bit chuckled.

"No, not it most certainly isn't."

XxXxXxXxXx

A few days after he proposed, Steve went out, bought an engagement ring, and gave it to Evie. It was simple; a thin silver band with a tiny diamond and he offered to get her another one if it was too little, but she assured him that it was perfect.

The wedding was planned for the day after they graduated, so we only had about a month to get everything planned, which wasn't that hard since the wedding was going to be so simple.

Steve was fine with just getting married down at the courthouse, but Evie wanted to it "right", meaning the ceremony would be happening at a church (even though none of us were very religious) and Steve wouldn't even be seeing Evie the day they got married until she was walking down the aisle. Both Steve and Evie's moms had walked out on them and their dads and neither his dad nor hers cared about them enough to get invited to the wedding, so it would be Darry walking Evie down the aisle and giving her away along with him being a groomsman. It would all of us (the gang and the girlfriends) along with some school friends of Evie and Steve's, my family, Ashlynn's mom, and Two-Bit's mom and sister.

"Who'd have thought that you'd be gettin' married first?" Pony said to Steve as we walked to school a couple weeks after the proposal.

"Hey, you better watch it, bub, or you're not gonna be in the wedding", Steve said and wound up as though he was going to swing at Pony.

"Steve, don't injure anyone before the wedding please", Evie told him.

"Yes, dear", he sighed.

"I just mean, I would'a thought it would have been Darry or Two-Bit or somethin' since their older", Pony explained.

"I suppose that makes sense, though they've been together longer than any of us", I told him.

"If we're goin' by how long people've been together, you two'll be gettin' hitched next", Steve said, pointing to Pony and I.

"Not now. I'd say after we get outta school. That sound right to you, Princess?" Pony asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Great, we'll start the wedding preparations immediately!" he jokingly exclaimed.

"You still have to propose, you know, honey", I teased.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that part."

"Sure you did", I laughed.

Steve's hand was always resting protectively over Evie's small baby bump whenever we saw them. They were getting increasingly excited for the baby, as were the rest of us. I loved babies and the last ones I had ever been close to were the twins and that had been over twelve years before.

Ruth, Rachel, and I were Evie's bridesmaids with Ashlynn as her maid of honor. Evie wasn't closer to Ashlynn than to Ruth, Rachel, or I and the only reason that Ashlynn was the maid of honor was that Sodapop was Steve's best man and the couples were being kept together. We would all be wearing dresses that we already had and Evie would be wearing her mom's wedding dress. Anna and Henry were the flower girl and ring bearer. Ruth would be holding Evie's train.

We all went to Ruth's college graduation a few weeks before the wedding, the drive being interesting even with us taking multiple cars.

Finally, graduation day came and Steve and Evie walked across the stage and accepted their diplomas. There was an afterparty at the Curtis house before Evie was whisked away to Ashlynn's house for the night. The girls and I stayed over Ashlynn's house that night so we could all get ready together the next morning.

The day of the wedding, I did Ashlynn, Ruth, Rachel, and I's makeup in soft spring colors and shades. I offered to do cat-eye eyeliner on them, but they both said no, so I just did it to myself. Evie wanted to do her own makeup and who was I to disagree. Ruth put on a light green dress that brought out her dark green eyes and a pair of nude kitten heels with her hair up in a beehive. Ashlynn wore a light pink dress with a pair of grey heels and her hair up in a neat bun. Rachel wore a yellow dress with white flats and her hair up in a ponytail. I was wearing the blue dress that I had worn for Two-Bit's graduation a year earlier and Mrs. Curtis's black T-strap heels with my hair tamed into bouncy curls thanks to the magical abilities of Ruth's curling iron. My jewelry consisted of my necklace and ring from Pony, along with some silver dangly earrings. Lots of makeup was put on my arm to hide my scars.

Evie had shades of pink and peach for eyeshadow (the same as us), cat-eye eyeliner (the same as mine), and mascara. Her lips were covered in her signature bright red lipstick. Evie's hair was naturally wavy and was down, flowing over her shoulders with the hair near the top of her head teased and twisted into a kind of half-up-half-down kind of thing. It looked beautiful on her, whatever she had done.

"You look gorgeous, Evie", Ruth told her. Ashlynn, Rachel, and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you", she smiled. I guess what they said about pregnant women glowing was true because Evie looked radiant in both senses of the word.

"You ready to get into your dress?" I asked. She nodded went over to the box that held her mom's wedding dress before taking it out and laying it on the bed. It was a simple, long, silk dress with long sleeves and buttons down the back. There were no embellishments or lace, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

It took a bit, but eventually I got the back unbuttoned and we all held the dress while Evie stepped into it. I then re-buttoned the back and stepped in front of Evie with Rachel, Ruth and Ashlynn. We all just stared at her for a while.

"Well?" she asked. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous", I said as Ruth, Ashlynn, and Rachel answered with, "incredible", "amazing", and beautiful.

Evie's blush was evident, even through her makeup. "Thanks, y'all."

"We'll help her with her shoes and veil while you two get some flowers", Ruth told Ashlynn and I. We nodded and went outside.

Our bouquets and the boutonnières pinned to the boys' lapels were going to be made out of flowers that we picked ourselves. We had a very limited budget and it was spring anyway, so we figured it would be the best idea. The ones we decided on were wooly yarrows, showy evening primroses, wild roses, and bindweed since they were pretty and easy to find.

Most of the things for the wedding were things that we made or things that we already had. The reception was going to be at the Curtis' house and dinner and dessert would be made by us. The exceptions to the no-spending-money maxim were buying the rings and getting the church for the designated time along with the preacher and organ player.

Ashlynn and I stayed outside, searching around the yard and Ms. Young's garden, for a while, trying our very best not to get ourselves dirty. When we came back inside, we sat down in the kitchen and cut the stems off them and the leaves off the wild roses (they are prickly), setting some aside for the boys before separating them into five bunches (leaving the biggest one for Evie, obviously) and tying some ribbon around them so they would stay together when we held them.

"Oh, dear, you look just beautiful!" I heard Ms. Young say from the other room. Ashlynn and I got up and headed over to her, finding Evie, Rachel, and Ruth all ready.

"Y'all got the bouquets?" Rachel asked us. We nodded, went into the kitchen, grabbed the flowers, and came back, handing them out.

"Let's get goin'", Ms. Young smiled. We all piled out of the house, Evie and Rachel going with Ms. Young in her car and Ashlynn and I going with Ruth in her car. It was a short drive to the church, which was small enough to be a chapel and when we got out, we saw that the boys weren't there yet. That was good since it meant there was no chance of Steve seeing Evie before the wedding.

We scurried into the building and rushed into a side room. Rachel found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote _"Bride's Room. Do Not Come In Unless We Say So"_ , sticking it to the outside of the door with a piece of tape. Ashlynn's mom was outside waiting for everyone else.

"Okay, we've got about half-an-hour until the ceremony", Ashlynn said. "What do y'all wanna do?"

Shrugs and "I dunno"s were the only answers she received. Evie was ringing her hands and twisting her engagement ring around her finger.

"You okay, Evie?" I asked. "Morning sickness?"

She shook her head. "No."

"What's wrong?"

She stood up and started to pace. "I dunno. I'm just _really_ nervous."

"About what?" Ruth asked.

"I'm just scared he'll change his mind or somethin'. That he doesn't wanna marry me anymore", she told us as she walked back and forth across the room. One hand rested on her swollen stomach while the other was occupied by her thumb twisting her ring around her finger.

"Evie, sweetie", I started and went up to her, grabbing her shoulders tightly but gently, "Steve loves you. He loves you a lot. He wouldn't have asked you to marry him if he didn't. Hell, you guys wouldn't have been together for the past three years if you didn't love each other. He loves you and the loves this baby and everything's gonna be just fine, alright? Don't work yourself up over something like this. Go ahead and sit down. You want something to eat? Something to drink?"

"No, I'm good", she answered as she lowered herself onto the couch, a hand rubbing her stomach. The baby bump wasn't very noticeable yet, but we knew it would be soon since Evie was so tiny.

Soon we heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Ruth called.

"Darry", he answered. "Can I come in?"

"Can he come in?" she asked Evie, who nodded in response. "You can come in, Dar!"

He carefully opened the door and walked in before closing it. He had a paper of some sort something in his hand. "Y'all look great."

"Thank you", we all said.

"What's that?" Rachel asked him, pointing to his hand.

"Well", he started with a sigh, "my parents wrote letters for everyone in the gang and their future wives that they planned on giving us all on our wedding days. We found 'em all a couple weeks ago in the basement in a box with their wedding stuff in it. So this is for you." He handed Evie the letter. Written on the envelope in Mrs. Curtis's looping cursive was _"Mrs. Steven Jacob Randle"_.

Evie hand clamped over her mouth in shock. Then I remembered that she had met them, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. She must have since she and Steve had been together before they died.

With shaking hands, Evie opened the flap and read through the letter, tears coming to her eyes as she did. Ashlynn quickly passed her a tissue, causing the bride to thank her quietly as she continued to read. After a little while, Evie placed in gently on her lap as though it would break if she put it down normally. The room was completely silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

"Steve has his too", Darry broke in after a while. "It's in his breast pocket."

I nodded carefully as he checked his watch.

"We've got five minutes 'til the ceremony starts", he said.

"Oh, Darry, can you go pin these to the boys' lapels?" I asked, getting up and giving him the flowers for the boutonnières.

"Sure", he answered. "I'll be right back." And with that he left the room.

"You ready to become Mrs. Randle?" I asked Evie.

She smiled nervously and nodded as she put letter back into the envelope and tucked it in with the flowers in her bouquet. Rachel, Ashlynn, and I took our designated bouquets and looked in the mirror one final time each before opening the door and heading out into the corridor. Ruth was staying in the room until it was time for Evie to come out since she would be with her. The boys and the twins were lined up, waiting to go. Darry started walking back to the room to get Evie when he saw us coming.

The boys and us all greeted each other as Steve was smiling goofily and practically jumping up and down.

After a couple minutes, it was time to start the procession. Steve and Sodapop walked down the aisle and stood at the altar, followed by Rachel and Two-Bit. Ponyboy took my hand, smiling at me before we walked down the aisle as well.

"You look beautiful", he whispered as we walked.

"Thank you", I said quietly. "You look very handsome."

"Thanks, darlin'."

"You're not wearing your boutonnière", I noticed.

"I don't need one", he smiled.

"And why's that?"

"I've already got a flower with me."

It took me a moment, but I quickly realized that he meant me, so I smiled and squeezed his hand before we separated, him on Steve's side and me on what was to be Evie's.

Ashlynn walked down the aisle next and I looked out at the seats. My parents and Ashlynn's mom were sitting at the front and Steve and Evie's friends from school were in the pews behind them. Only one side of the aisle was occupied since both of them knew the same people.

Henry came out next with a little pillow that held the rings before he went over and stood with the boys. He insisted that he was too old to be a ring bearer and didn't want to be in a "monkey suit", but when we told him that he could grease his hair as much as he wanted, he relented.

Anna came out after him, scattering the aisle with the petals of the same flowers in our bouquets. She wasn't too keen on being a flower girl either, reusing the argument that she was too old and she didn't want to wear a dress. She really disliked them with a deep passion. Our bargaining chip for her was that she could wear her Converse with her dress, which finally made her agree.

"Please stand", the minister announced. Everyone in the pews did as he said and faced the back of the room as the organ started paying the "Bridal Chorus".

The doors opened and in walked Evie, Darry on her right arm and Ruth behind her, holding her train. Steve's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. I could swear there were tears in his eyes. Soda clapped him on the shoulder.

It was obvious that Evie was smiling, even with her veil over her face. The music stopped once she got to the end of the aisle and Ruth came over to our little line.

"Who presents this woman to this man?" the minister asked.

"I do", Darry responded, giving Evie a quick hug before putting her hand in Steve's. She walked up the few stairs that led to the alter and faced him. He carefully lifted up her veil and smiled even wider when he saw her face.

The minister gave his usual sermon on marriage before turning to Steve. I had already started crying, causing Ashlynn to laugh at me a little.

"Will you, Steven Jacob Randle, have Evelyn Margaret Rivers to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her and keep her, forsaking all others to remain true to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I will", he answered.

"Now repeat after me", the minister instructed. "I, Steven Jacob Randle…"

"I, Steven Jacob Randle…"

"…take thee, Evelyn Margaret Rivers…"

"…take thee, Evelyn Margaret Rivers…"

"…to be my wife…"

"…to be my wife…"

"…and before God and these witnesses…"

"…and before God and these witnesses…"

"…and before God and these witnesses."

"…I promise to be a faithful and true husband."

Then the preacher turned to Evie.

"Will you, Evelyn Margaret Rivers, have Steven Jacob Randle to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him and keep him, forsaking all others to remain true to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I will", she answered. She had started to cry, so Ashlynn handed her a tissue.

"Repeat after me", he said. "I, Evelyn Margaret Rivers…"

"…I, Evelyn Margaret Rivers…"

"…take thee, Steven Jacob Randle…"

"…take thee, Steven Jacob Randle…"

"…to be my husband…"

"…to be my husband…"

"…and before God and these witnesses…"

"…and before God and these witnesses…"

"…I promise to be a faithful and true wife."

"…I promise to be a faithful and true wife."

"May I have the rings?" the minister asked. Henry came forward and held out the pillow.

"Repeat after me, Steven", he started. "With this ring, I thee wed…"

"With this ring, I thee wed…"

"…and all my worldly goods I thee endow…"

"…and all my worldly good I thee endow."

"In sickness and in health…"

"In sickness and in health…"

"…in poverty or in wealth…"

"…in poverty or in wealth…"

"…'til death do us part."

"…'til death do us part."

And with that, he slipped the ring onto Evie's finger.

"Repeat after me, Evelyn. With this ring, I thee wed…"

"With this ring, I thee wed…"

"…and all my worldly good I thee endow."

"…and all my worldly goods I thee endow."

"In sickness and in health…"

"In sickness and in health…"

"…in poverty or in wealth…"

"…in poverty or in wealth…"

"…'til death do us part."

"…'til death do us part."

Evie put the ring onto Steve's finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride", the minister told them.

Steve pulled Evie to him by the waist and gave her a sweet kiss while we all applauded. After a moment, they pulled away, all smiles, and walked back down the aisle and out of the church.

The rest of us followed, the twins, then Darry and Ruth, Ashlynn and Soda, Pony and I, and Rachel and Two-Bit. We all gathered on the front steps for pictures ( _a lot_ of pictures) and then just Steve and Evie had their pictures taken.

After the pictures, the newlyweds got into Steve's car and drove off to the Curtis'. Everyone got in their respective cars a few moments later and we too drove to the Curtis' house. I was in the car with my family.

"See, guys, that wasn't so bad", I said to Anna and Henry.

"I guess", he shrugged.

"When we get to the reception you can change into your regular clothes", Mom assured him.

"You brought mine too, right?" Anna asked.

"Yes, I brought yours too. Don't you worry."

When we pulled up to the Curtis' house, we saw everyone streaming into the house. We followed and were met by…well, everyone.

"Darry, honey, do you need any help with dinner?" Mom asked him when she saw him in the kitchen.

"You don't have to help, Mrs. Smith."

"No, I insist. If there's something that you need help with, I'll gladly help you with it."

"Well, there _is_ some pasta-"

"Say no more, Darry. Pasta is my specialty", she said as she walked into the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves on her sweater.

Dad went into the living room and started talking to Mrs. Mathews and Ms. Young while Henry took over Soda and Pony's room and Anna took the bathroom so they could change.

I went into the backyard where everyone else my age was.

"Congratulations, guys!" I exclaimed as I hugged Steve and Evie.

"Thanks, doll", he said, giving me an affectionate squeeze. Evie gave me a huge hug and when she was pressed against me, I could feel the bump in her stomach.

"How's the baby doing?"

"I think it's doin' okay", Evie told me. "I'm starting to feel better. I'm not really throwin' up anymore, anyway."

"That's good. Have what do you think it's going to be?"

"I say boy."

"I say girl", Steve said.

"We'll find out in about five more months, won't we?", I smiled.

Suddenly, there were arms around my waist, hugging me from behind.

"Hey, darlin'", I heard a deep voice say.

I turned my head to see my boyfriend. "Hey, honey."

"Can I steal her away for a minute?" he asked Steve and Evie, who looked at each other and nodded.

Pony took my hand and led me into his room, which was not unoccupied by my brother.

"And what do you want, mister?" I teased and crossed my arms.

"This", he answered before coming up to me and kissing me. I was shocked for a moment, but quickly kissed back, wrapping my arms around his neck. Since I was wearing 3-inch heels, I didn't have to stand on tip-toe.

After a minute or so, we pulled apart, breathing heavily.

"I haven't been able to do that all day", he smiled.

"Well, now you have", I told him and hugged him around his middle.

"Now I have", he agreed and kissed my head.

There was a knock at the door, so we pulled bock and just held hands as we opened it. My dad was standing there with an amused expression on his face as our faces turned red. He looked us over for a minute until he made a "go ahead" gesture.

We rushed back out into the yard and were greeted by Soda and Ashlynn.

"Y'all look like you just saw a ghost", she said.

When we stayed silent for a moment, Soda asked, "Who caught you this time?"

"It wasn't necessarily getting caught as much as my dad knocking on the closed door and us voluntarily opening it", I told him, making them both laugh.

The four of us talked for a bit before I excused myself and went over to Evie, who was standing by herself and watching the festivities with a smile on her face and a hand on her stomach.

"Hey, Evie", I greeted.

"Hi, Lily."

"So have you thought anymore about working somewhere else?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I'm thinkin' about working with you at the bookstore."

"Really? That's great."

"I would usually choose the diner, but that would be a lot of running around and I don't know how good that'll be for the baby. And it's pretty quiet at the bookstore too, so that might be good."

"Yeah, that makes sense", I nodded. "I'm sure Mrs. Brown will hire you. There's always room."

"I'll ask her the next time I'm downtown."

"Does Steve know?"

"Yeah, I told him a couple weeks go", she answered.

Our conversation was broken by the shouts of "dinner!" from my mom inside the house. Everyone ran in and got as much food as they could handle and ran outside where an old picnic table had been set up.

"Glory, Mrs. Smith. This's real good", Soda told her with his mouth full of fettuccini Alfredo.

I narrowed my eyes at him in a way that said "really?", causing him to chew and swallow before repeating himself.

"Thank you, Sodapop", she laughed. "I try."

"It was a real help havin' you in the kitchen, ma'am", Darry said.

"It was my pleasure, dear", she smiled and patted his hand.

After a while, dinner was finished and a large chocolate cake was brought out and set on the table along with a knife. Evie and Steve held the knife together and made the first slice before feeding it to each other. The cake was cut up, rationed out, and done within ten minutes. That was when the champagne was passed out to everyone except for Evie, who got apple juice. Even the twins had some. There weren't enough proper champagne glasses, so most of us got regular glasses or mugs.

"I'd like to make a toast", Sodapop announced, standing up on the seat of the picnic table. "Stevie, we've known each other since second grade. You've been with me through all of my stupid decisions, my bad ideas, and my awkward faze." That last part got a lot of laughs. "We've helped each other through breakups and bad grades and death. Sorry 'bout how dark that got, folks, but you get my point.

"When you met Evie, I remember you being so excited. I had never seen you this excited over a girl. When I finally met her, I saw this pretty, tiny girl that made you happy. You obviously saw more than I did since you're the one that married her. It's been more than three years, and here y'all are. You've gone through some tough spots, but who hasn't? The point is you're happy and in love and you've a got a little baby Randle on the way. So, here's to y'all. Cheers!"

We all raised our glasses and drank the champagne, the twins and I scrunching up our faces a bit. I still wasn't used to the taste or bitterness of it.

The radio was turned on loud enough that it could be heard from the yard and the first song to start up was a slow song. Immediately, it was announced that it was time for the newlyweds' first dance. Everyone cleared off of the middle of the yard, leaving it for them. Steve took Evie's hand and led her to the open space before dancing with her. It wasn't anything flashy or intricate. They just swayed along until the song ended and we clapped for them.

The music continued as all the other couples started dancing. The twins were looking a little lonely since they refused to slow dance with each other, so after a few songs, Two-Bit went over and asked Anna to dance while Rachel went and asked Henry. They both blushed, but agreed. It was funny to look at since Rachel was about 9 inches taller than envy and Two-Bit was a good foot taller than Anna, though it was admittedly quite sweet to watch.

We all danced for over an hour before "Love Me Tender" came on.

"Darlin', it's our song!" Pony exclaimed.

"You don't say", I laughed.

"C'mon, we're doin' this right."

"Right?" I asked, but he ignored my question and placed one hand in mine and the other on my waist. I figured out that we were going to waltz, so I placed my hand on his shoulder and he started dancing me across the yard.

Pony hummed along to the music as we danced and I closed my eyes, trusting him to not let me crash into anything or anyone. We carried on like this until the song ended, when he dipped and kissed me, which caused me to laugh a bit. Then I heard clapping and cheering, causing my eyes to fly open and Pony to lift me back up.

All of the people in the yard were looking at Pony and I and applauding. Soda put his thumb and index finger between his lips and wolf-whistled. We blushed a deep red. Pony jokingly bowed and I curtsied.

"You sure this ain't _you're_ wedding?" Steve laughed.

"Not yet", Pony told him with a smile as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

I smiled contentedly and lay my head on Pony's shoulder.

"I love you", he told me.

"I love you too", I said back with a smile. "And I always will."

 **Hey, guys! I loved writing this chapter because I'm a complete sap and I love weddings. The amount of research I had to do about wedding processions, vows, etc. was insane, but fun. There was a comment saying that the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran really works for Lily and Pony and I can't help but agree completely. I absolutely love that song and forgot to mention the exact fact that it really works well in the last chapter. If this story were set in modern time, I definitely would have put that song in somewhere. In fact, the last part of the chapter where they're waltzing during the reception is inspired by that song. Are you guys excited for baby Randle? Because I sure am! I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavelclaw13**


	9. Chapter 9

School ended soon after the wedding, along with me teaching the girls. They were sad that I wouldn't be seeing them until fall and even then, I wasn't sure that I would get offered the job, much less accept. I felt the same, but I reassured them that I would see them at some point the next year. During the recital, I watched like a proud mother hen from the stage wings as they did their dances.

As the summer carried on, Evie's stomach only grew. When the baby was about 5 and a half months, it started kicking. One day we were at work at the bookstore when it happened.

Evie leaned on the counter and put her hand to her stomach. She seemed a bit winded.

"Evie, what's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital? Do I need to call an ambulance? Is the baby-"

"Everything's fine", she cut me off with a laugh. "The baby's just kicking."

"Really?" I asked. "May I…?"

"Go ahead."

I gently put my hand to her stomach and felt the baby kick my hand, making me smile. "Glory, I haven't felt that since my mom was pregnant with Anna and Henry."

"Well, I'm pretty damn sure there's only one baby in there", Evie said, looking down at her stomach. "And this baby just loves to move."

"It's Steve Randle's kid", I laughed. "What did you expect?"

"You've got a point there."

"How's the house-search going?"

Since Evie announced that she was pregnant, she and Steve had started looking for a house of their own. They wanted to find one before the baby came.

"We found one that we really like", she told me. "We're lookin' into buying it."

"That's great! You think you'll get it?"

"We're hoping so. Keepin' our fingers crossed."

"Have you gone shopping for the baby yet?"

"A little. We got a crib, but we still need to get most of the other stuff."

"Least you've started", I encouraged.

"That's true, I guess."

"What about names? Have you thought about any names?"

"I'm convinced that it's a boy, but Steve says it's a girl so we can never really find a place to start with names."

"What makes you say that it's a boy?"

"Motherly instincts, I guess", she shrugged.

"Let's brainstorm now. Just the two of us."

"Sure."

I thought for a moment, drumming my fingers against the counter. "Kevin?"

"No."

"Richard?"

"Too Socy."

"Thomas?"

"Not really a fan of that one."

"Mark?"

"Not a fan of that one either."

We went on like this for a while before I finally said one she was partial to. "Scott?"

Evie opened her mouth to say something against it since that was all she had been doing, but stopped short and closed it as her brow furrowed in thought.

"I'm not opposed to that", she said incredulously as though she almost didn't believe that there was a name she actually liked.

"It took you long enough", I teased.

"Oh, shut up", she laughed and lightly hit my shoulder.

"This kid's gonna have so many aunts and uncles", I said.

"You got that right, Aunt Lily", she told me.

"I'll never understand how you walk in those things", I said, nodding towards her heels.

"I've been doin' it since I was thirteen and I'm sure as hell not stopping now."

"But how are you not in pain all the time?"

"I am, but you get used to it", she shrugged. "Don't you do dance?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, doesn't it hurt when you got up on your toes?"

"Yeah…", I trailed off, not really seeing where she was going.

"It's like that. You just get used to it."

"But you don't stay on pointe all the time. You get off of it and just stand there and it doesn't hurt. You can't stand still in those heels and it not hurt."

"Okay, we're gonna try something", she told me and started taking off her heels.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"You're gonna put on my shoes and walk around and we're gonna see if you live."

"Oh that sounds nice", I said sarcastically as I went along with it and took off my sandals. "How do you even know we're the same size?"

"I guess we'll find out", Evie smirked and passed me her heels. Without them on, she was noticeably shorter than me.

I sighed and put on the heels, leaning against the counter as I did. I felt like I used to when I was a little kid and tried on my mom's heels, though Evie and I were miraculously the same shoe size.

Shakily, I stood up straight and towered over Evie.

"I feel so tall", I laughed. "This isn't normal."

"You're fine", she told me. "Now go do a couple laps."

"You want me to run in these things?"

"No, I mean walk a couple laps, you idiot", she teased. I stuck out my tongue at her before starting to walk around.

It was really weird. The highest heels I ever really wore were 3 inches and even they caused my feet to hurt after a while. I felt like I was on stilts as I walked between shelves of books, but oddly enough, I didn't topple over. Granted, I was a little wobbly, but I could walk pretty successfully. I could only assume that it was because ballet taught me proper posture.

"See, you're fine", Evie told me when I came back to the counter.

"Yeah, but I'll leave these to you", I laughed while taking them off.

"Suit yourself", Evie shrugged.

XxXxXxXxXx

For Ponyboy's birthday, we were all going to the lake without parental supervision and then we would all be staying over at the Curtis' for the night. It was bound to be interesting.

That morning, I walked to the Curtis house with a canvas bag slung over my shoulder. The bag was filled with all of my beach things: sunglasses, sunscreen, a large hat, a book, some extra elastics and bobby pins, my hairbrush, and a towel. My pajamas were in there too, but I would be leaving them at the Curtis' house while we were out. I had my bathing suit on under my clothes, which I planned on keeping on for as long as possible.

I was wearing a sweatshirt, shorts, and sandals with my hair twisted into a a bun on top of my head and no jewelry. Since it was only 8 in the morning when I walked to the Curtis', it was a little cold; the perfect excuse to still be wearing a sweatshirt. I didn't have makeup on my scars since we were going in the water, so the sweatshirt was the only thing covering my bare arms and midriff. I was anxious to wear my bathing suit since it showed all of my scars. It was a pretty bathing suit; a teal bikini, which my mom and I had to go out and get not long before we would be going to the lake since I hadn't been swimming in a long time and needed a new one.

None of the girls except Ashlynn had ever seen the scars and as much as I wished I could keep it that way, that had to see them eventually.

When I knocked on the door, someone said "Come in", so I did, finding only Darry and Soda.

"Where is everyone?"

"Two-Bit, Rachel, Steve, and Evie are probably either sleeping or on their way. The birthday boy's still sleeping. You can wake him up", Darry smiled. "I'm sure he won't object to you being the one to do it."

After setting my bag by the door, I made my way into Pony and Soda's room, finding my boyfriend fast asleep and sprawled out in a very awkward-looking position. I smiled to myself as I went over and sat next to him on the bed, leaning over and kissing his forehead.

"Ponyboy", I whispered, putting my hand on his arm and squeezing it gently. "Honey, wake up."

His eyes squeezed together and he shifted a little. "Soda, gimme five more minutes", he murmured.

I laughed a little. "Honey, it's Lily, not Soda. It's time to wake up."

At the mention of my name, his eyes slowly opened.

"Happy birthday, love", I said and kissed his cheek. "It's time to get up. We're going to the lake today, remember?"

He nodded groggily and sat up.

"I'll be in the kitchen", I told him and put my pajamas for that night at the foot of his bed before walking out of the room.

"So?" Soda asked as I took a seat at the kitchen table.

"He's up."

"You got him up that quick? And that quiet?"

"Yup."

"We usually jump on him", he laughed. "And sometimes even _that_ doesn't work."

"I have magical powers", I teased.

"Well, look who the cat dragged in", Darry chuckled. Soda and I looked over to see Pony walk into the kitchen clad in an undershirt and boxers. He kissed me on the head and sat down.

"It's too early to be awake", he muttered.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I second that notion. Have some coffee. It'll perk you up."

He made a face. "Coffee's gross."

"I'm not a huge fan of it either, but I have to drink it during the school year."

"Why do you drink it if you don't like it?"

"It keeps me up", I responded simply.

"I've never had coffee and I never will", Soda claimed

. "You're hyper enough for all of us, Little Buddy", Darry told him, "but never say never. Dad used to say that he and mom never drank coffee 'til we came around."

"Good morning, Curtis house!" Two-Bit hollered as he busted through the front door, Rachel trailing behind him. "Where's the birthday boy?"

"Speaking of people that don't need coffee…", Pony muttered next to me.

I snorted, accidentally alerting Two-Bit of Ponyboy's presence.

"There he is!" he exclaimed and proceeded to put Pony in a headlock and give him a noogie.

Pony punched Two-Bit's arm, making him let go.

"Ouch!" Two-Bit yelped as he brought his arm to his body. "Damn, Pony, you can really pack a punch."

"Why, thank you", Pony smirked.

Darry put some eggs in front of Pony and I, his hard boiled and mine scrambled. "Eat up Pone. When everyone gets here, we're leavin'."

My boyfriend practically inhaled his eggs before kissing me on the cheek and jogging into his room to get ready. I ate slower, actually wanting to be able to taste the food. Soon, everyone else came over. Two-Bit and Steve were wearing their swim trunks already and I assumed that, like me, the girls were wearing their bathing suits under their clothes. The Curtis brothers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to get ready.

"Ponyboy, get outta that damn bathroom or I'll kick in the door", Darry ordered.

"I'm shaving!" Pony yelled back. "So unless you want me to accidentally cut my face off, I would suggest you don't kick in the door!"

It took another 20 minutes for them to be ready, but the second they were, we all rushed out of the house and into the different cars. Pony and I were going in Darry's truck with him and Ruth. We climbed into the back seats and as soon as we were all strapped in, Darry started to drive. It was a two-hour drive to the lake and we wanted to get as much time in as possible. We had brought a couple coolers with food and drinks.

A few minutes into the car ride, Pony yawned, causing me to do the same. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

"You can take a nap", he told me. "I'll probably take one too."

I nodded tiredly and snuggled closer to him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and kissed my head before resting his head on top of mine. I was asleep in less than two minutes.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Darlin', we're here", I heard Pony whisper, waking me up.

I groaned a little and buried my face into his shoulder.

"I know you wanna sleep, but we gotta get out of the car", he laughed slightly.

"But I like it here", I muttered.

"In my shoulder?"

"Mm-hmm."

A moment later, he kissed me, which certainly woke me up.

"There we go", he laughed and took off my seatbelt. "Let's go."

I grabbed my bag and we got out of the truck and stretched before going over to everyone else, who were all setting up an area for our group.

"Glad to see you're finally conscious" Ruth laughed. There was a smirk on my face, even if I rolled my eyes.

A few minutes later, everything was in its designated place. Darry clapped his hands together in satisfaction and looked the girls and I.

"Y'all can change into your bathing suits now, y'know."

"We already have them on", Rachel said and pulled her strap out from beneath her shirt before snapping it back into place.

"Even better", Darry said.

The girls started unbuttoning their shorts and taking off their shirts. This was the moment I had been dreading; the moment that I had to take off my sweatshirt and just be in my bathing suit.

To delay the inevitable, I slowly took off my sandals and unbuttoned my shorts, taking them off, folding them meticulously and putting them in my bag.

"You comin'?" Evie asked me. They were all heading down to the lakefront and she had paused and turned back to me.

"Yeah", I told her. "I'll be down in a minute."

She stared at me for a second, so I gave her a reassuring smile, which seemed to do the trick. As she walked, Steve was right next to her, continuously telling her to be careful and watch her step. If he was this overprotective while she was pregnant, I couldn't wait to see what he would do when the baby was actually here. He was even trying to give up smoking, occasionally doing it, but only outside and away from Evie.

I turned to see Pony standing next to me. He still had his clothes on, as though waiting for me.

"Aren't you going to come in?"

"Of course. You can go in. I'll be there soon."

"I'm fine with waiting for you."

"You really don't have to."

He searched my eyes for a moment. "Princess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me what's _really_ wrong", he pushed, taking my hand.

I tried to think of a lie, but quickly realized that it would never get past him. "I-I", I stuttered before a memory crept into my mind.

 _Angela was sitting on my hips. My top was cut off and she had a blade._

Tears started to come to my eyes as the memories rolled in. Her words rang and echoed in my mind. _"No one's ever gonna love you with all this. You'll be even uglier than before, if that's possible."_

Pony led me behind the truck for privacy and pulled up my chin with his finger so that my brown eyes met his green ones. "Darlin', look at me. What's wrong?"

"It-it's just my scars. They're awful and they make me disgusting and repulsive and-and how can love me? I'm so ugly. Just like she said-"

"Just like who said?" he asked.

"A-Angela."

"When was that? Has she been bothering you again?"

"No. She-she said that when she was doing it." Tears were dribbling down my cheeks.

"First of all, you're not disgusting or repulsive or ugly or whatever other awful things you can think of. And what do you mean 'how can I love you'? How could I _not_ love you? You're gorgeous and beautiful and amazing and incredible and smart and kind and sweet and so many other things. I could be here for days. Angela Shepard is just an awful person that has nothing better to do than put people down. She'll never even come close to being as amazing as you are. You are spectacular. _She_ is disgusting. _She_ is repulsive. You are so much more than she'll ever be. I have never loved someone as much as I love you and nothing can change that.

"And so what if you have scars? Scars are just discolored marks left on your skin from injuries. Everyone here has a scar of some sort, I can tell you that with no doubt in my mind. Yeah, they're part of you, but they don't make you _you_. And besides, I love you and those scars are part of you, so by default, I love them too." He wiped the tears from my cheek.

I just stared at him for a bit before finally saying something. "How did I get so damn lucky?"

"That's what I ask myself everyday", he responded and wrapped me in his arms.

"I love you, honey", I told him. "And I always will."

"I love you too, darlin'", he repeated and kissed my head. "And I always will."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding each other until I broke the silence. "Let's go in."

He pulled away from me slightly to look at my face. "Are you sure? You don't have to. I'm not going to make you if you're not ready."

"No, I'm ready", I assured him. "Just gimme a minute."

I flipped my head upside down and put my hair into a tight high-ponytail before slipping my sweatshirt off. I rolled it up haphazardly and looked up at Ponyboy. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly hanging open as he stared at me, his eyes looking me up and down.

"Love, close your mouth. That's how you catch flies", I teased.

His mouth just opened and closed like a fish. "You just-you look-wow."

"You think so?" I asked, a blush starting to spread across my cheeks.

"Yeah", he nodded.

"Thanks, honey", I said as I walked back to my bag and shoved my sweatshirt in it.

"My pleasure, darlin'", he told me, his voice a bit muffled. I turned around to see why, only to see his T-shirt off his body and scrunched up in his hand as he started to put on sunscreen.

It was my turn to stare. My eyes widened and I swallowed heavily. I hadn't seen him with his shirt off in a while since I didn't stay over at him house much and even when I did, I didn't really look there. But at that moment, there was no ignoring it: he was extremely handsome. He always was to me, but his abdomen was instantly added to the list. He had a six-pack, a slight v-line that went down into his swimming trunks, and biceps. It wasn't like he was huge like Darry. He was pretty lean, but playing football and track had definitely payed off.

He smiled and cleared his throat, breaking me out of my reverie. My face went completely red and I rummaged through my bag, finally pulling out the sunscreen and starting to put it on. Soon, I heard the click of Pony's sunscreen bottle closing and felt his arms wrap around my waist from behind.

"You want me to get your back?"

"Yes please", I said, putting some sunscreen into his open hand and bringing my hair to the front as I continued to apply it to my legs. When he rubbed it into the ribs in my back, I jerked.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm just ticklish there."

'Well, I'll have to remember that for future reference", he laughed.

(Ponyboy's POV)

Everyone was going down to the lake in their bathing suits and my girlfriend had only taken off her shoes and shorts. I knew something wasn't right.

Evie asked if she was coming and seemed hesitant at Lily's answer but she gave Evie a convincing (albeit fake) smile and the latter backed off.

I walked over to her and waited for her to notice me. I knew that there was a problem and when I asked her about it, she'd just try to shake me off. I was not going to let that happen. I kept my clothes on so she would tell me whatever was wrong before I went anywhere.

"Aren't you going to come in?" I asked once she noticed me.

"Of course. You can go in. I'll be there soon." Exactly as I thought.

"I'm fine with waiting for you", I persisted.

"You really don't have to", she told me.

I looked into her eyes for a bit, trying to find a hint of whatever was bothering her. "Princess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing", she answered, but I knew she was lying.

"Tell me what's really wrong", I insisted as I took her hand.

She was trying to think of a way to get out of this, but finally she relented. "I-I", she stuttered before thinking of something. Her face turned even paler than it usually was and tears came to her eyes.

Sensing that this was going to be a private conversation, I took her behind the truck. We would only be hiding from the gang since no one else was at the lake that day, miraculously. "Darlin', look at me", I told her and tilted her head up in look me in the eye. "What's wrong?"

She started to ramble. "It-it's just my scars. They're awful and they make me disgusting and repulsive and-and how can love me? I'm so ugly. Just like she said-"

I cut her off. "Just like who said?" I wanted to know whoever was saying this stuff to her. They were going to get beaten into the ground.

"A-Angela", she stuttered.

"When was that? Has she been bothering you again?" I asked hurriedly. She didn't deserve to be harassed by Angela. She didn't deserve any of that.

"No. She-she said it when she was doing it", she answered, starting to cry. I knew what she meant and I almost wanted to cry with her. When we first started dating, she was already self-conscious, but after Angela jumped her, her self-confidence just plummeted. It got a little better after the rumble we had with the Shepard gang, but she continuously brought herself down. She still refused to let anyone see her scars, even after two years at that point. It made absolutely no sense to me, how the most amazing and beautiful person I had met in my entire life could be so self-deprecating.

"First of all, you're not disgusting or repulsive or ugly or whatever other awful things you can think of. And what do you mean 'how can I love you'? How could I _not_ love you? You're gorgeous and beautiful and amazing and incredible and smart and kind and sweet and so many other things. I could be here for days. Angela Shepard is just an awful person that has nothing better to do than put people down. She'll never even come close to being as amazing as you are. You are spectacular. _She_ is disgusting. _She_ is repulsive. You are so much more than she'll ever be. I have never loved someone as much as I love you and nothing can change that", I told her and wiped some tears from her cheeks as I talked.

"And so what if you have scars?" I continued. "Scars are just discolored marks left on your skin from injuries. Everyone here has a scar of some sort, I can tell you that with no doubt in my mind. Yeah, they're part of you, but they don't make you _you_. And besides, I love you and those scars are part of you, so by default, I love them too."

She just looked at me for a while, finally saying, "How did I get so damn lucky?"

"That's what I ask myself everyday", I told her honestly and pulled her close to me.

"I love you, honey. And I always will", she said. I could feel her warm breath through my T-shirt.

"I love you too, darlin'. And I always will."

We stood there in silence for a while before she told me that she was ready to go in.

"Are you sure?", I asked. "You don't have to. I'm not going to make you if you're not ready."

"No, I'm ready. Just gimme a minute." She folded herself in half and somehow managed to put her hair into a ponytail before taking off her sweatshirt. She did some kind of criss-cross-grab thing that I could only assume was a girl thing since all the other girls had done it when they had taken off their shirts a few minutes before.

As she rolled her sweatshirt into a ball, I went completely slack-jawed. I had never actually seen her midriff other than when I stitched her up that awful night and what she looked like wasn't necessarily my biggest concern when that was happening. But right then, when she was just in her bathing suit, I was completely occupied with looking at her. I had never really looked at a girl's body, but I couldn't imagine it could have been any more perfect than hers. She always said she weighed too much, but her stomach was flat and her hip bones jutted out just a little. Her hips were round and led seamlessly to the curve of her waist. My eyes only stayed a moment at her chest, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, but from what I saw, she had… _those_. Of course, that's kind of obvious, but my point still stands. Her collarbones stuck out a little too. The sun turned her hair golden and red and her eyes amber. There were quite a few freckles on her shoulders that I had never seen before. The absolute last thing I noticed was the scar. It wasn't as bad as it had been when she first got it and it certainly wasn't as bad as she seemed to think it was. It was just a long, white line that trailed from her right hip to left underarm, cutting across her stomach. The one thing that kept running through my mind was "How is she so perfect?".

"Love, close your mouth. That's how you catch flies", she giggled slightly, breaking me out of my trance.

I tried to tell her how incredibly gorgeous she looked, but the words just wouldn't come out. "You just-you look-wow."

"You think so?" she asked, starting to blush.

"Yeah", I said, my voice still not working properly.

"Thanks, honey", she told me.

"My pleasure, darlin'", I said back as I took off my shirt and grabbed the sunscreen out of the bag. While I put on the sunscreen, she was silent. I finally looked up at her when I was almost done, only to see _her_ now staring at _me_ , her brown eyes wide.

I smiled and cleared my throat to get her attention, causing her face to go firetruck-red as she occupied herself with her bag and putting on sunscreen.

(Back to Lily's POV)

Pony and I walked down to the lake hand-in-hand. The boys were tackling and dunking each other into the water as the girls stood up to their hips and waists, just watching in amusement.

"Hey!" Soda shouted. "Y'all finally decided to join us?"

"Yes, we did, for your information", I said back, teasing him.

I scanned everyone's faces to see if they were staring at my scar, only to see them just smiling and watching us walk down.

"You see?" Pony asked. "You're fine."

"Yeah. I'm fine", I repeated, partly to myself for reassurance. When we stepped into the water for the first time, a smile involuntarily came over my face. I had always loved the water and swimming and the cool water washing over my feet felt nice.

"You gonna come in or you just gonna stand there?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, shut up", I laughed. "I'm savoring the moment."

Pony chuckled next to me. "It _is_ nice, though."

"Yeah. It is."

"C'mon", he encouraged as he started to walk into the water, tugging me slightly forward by my hand.

I was completely fine in the water, though I stopped short when it hit my upper thighs.

"Something wrong?" Pony asked.

"Just kinda cold", I laughed.

He rolled his eyes playfully and picked me up bridal style, causing me to squeal. "What're you doing?"

"I'm carryin' you in so you don't have to walk", he explained while walking over to the girls with me in his arms.

"You hitched a ride?" Ashlynn laughed.

"You bet she did, the little hitchhiker", Pony joked as he set me down my feet.

"Hey! I'm not little!" I exclaimed and flexed my biceps for emphasis. They weren't as big as any of the boys' biceps, but they were still there.

"Forgive me, darlin'. I'm usually looking at your pretty face and not your huge muscles", he teased and pulled me into his side.

"You're forgiven", I smiled, standing on tip-toe to give him a kiss.

"Y'all are cute", Ruth told us with a smile.

"Thanks", we both said.

"You excited for senior year?" Evie asked. It would be weird being considered the oldest kids in school, especially since Pony and I were younger than everyone in our grade. Cherry, Lizzie, and Melissa had graduated along with Evie and Steve, so we wouldn't be seeing them around at school like we did sometimes either.

"Kinda", I shrugged. "We're already startin' to apply to some colleges."

"Which ones are you thinkin' about?"

"My top one's Brown", I said.

"And mine's Princeton", Pony responded.

" _Brown and Princeton_?", Ruth questioned, shocked. "Those are some of the best schools in the country!"

"We can hope", I told her.

"Why do you have to leave me?" Ashlynn whined jokingly. "I'm gonna be all alone!"

"Ash, I don't think you realize that the chances of me getting into Brown are pretty unlikely. And even if I get in by some miracle, I'll be writing you guys back home all the time."

"Same here", Pony said.

Suddenly, Pony and I were dunked under the water. I came up sputtering, my hair sticking to my face. "Who the hell was that?!"

The girls (who were all laughing) pointed to Two-Bit, who just smiled goofily. "Guilty as charged."

"You're gonna get it!" I yelled and tacked him into the water. Usually my body weight against his wouldn't have knocked him back, but since I caught him by surprise, I knocked him over into the water.

I came back up to the surface before he did. There was some water in my nose and mouth, but I was satisfied that I had caught him off guard.

He stood back up after a moment, laughing as he spit water out of his mouth. "Damn, you're like a linebacker, tacklin' me like that!"

"Thanks. I'm thinkin' about trying out for the football team with Pony next year. How d'you reckon I'll do?" I teased.

"The other team wouldn't know what hit 'em", he laughed. "You're too little 'n speedy for them to notice you!"

We swam and played around until lunchtime when all us surfaced to eat. Pony stayed in the water for a couple more minutes after the rest of us went up. He finally got out when the food was almost completely unpacked. I saw him come out of the water and almost didn't know what to do with myself. I vaguely remembered reading something about Sodapop looking like a "Greek god" when I read over Pony's theme for English back in freshman year and as handsome as Soda was, I had to argue that _Ponyboy_ was the one that really looked like a Greek god. There was water dripping down his toned chest and stomach and only more was added when he ran a hand through his hair. He was tan from being outside so much during sports seasons. In the sunshine, his hair turned redder and his eyes were a bright green.

"I get it, Lil, you like his body, but you're drooling", Ashlynn said. I snapped out of my haze and rummaged through the cooler, pulling out some Pepsis and setting them on the table.

"Was I that obvious?" I whispered.

"The boys saw you with your jaw on the ground, that's for damn sure. I had to give 'em a look to get them to stop, but they'll say something soon. Probably when Pony gets up here."

"Jesus Christ", I muttered. "I'm so in for it."

"You bet your ass you are", she laughed quietly and nudged me with her elbow as my boyfriend walked up to the table and dried himself off with a towel.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, you'll never guess what your gal was just doin'!" Soda laughed loudly and wrapped an arm around his younger brother's shoulder. I could tell Two-Bit and Steve were dying to make a jab at me and Darry was trying to hide a smirk, as well as the girls.

"Please enlighten me", Pony said, giving me a confused expression. I simply hid my face in my hands as I turned bright red for the second time that day. And for the same reason.

"So we're settin' up lunch and we look up across the table and see Lily completely checkin' you out while you came up! Just lookin' at you with her mouth hanging open and almost drooling!" Soda exclaimed. Him and the other boys started to cackle. I everted my eyes to the ground so I didn't have to look anyone in the face.

"So? She's allowed to do that. Frankly, I find it kind of cute", Pony said. "In fact…"

I heard footsteps coming towards me and looked up to see my boyfriend standing next to me with a sweet grin.

"Hey", I said quietly, trying to look anywhere but his green eyes.

"Hey", he said back, lifting up my chin so I had to look at his face. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist, bent down to my height, and kissed me. I blushed a bit, but held his face and kissed him back. Nothing could have ruined that moment. Not even the gang whistling, yelling, and laughing at us.

After a bit, we pulled away, out of breath but happy. Two-Bit, Steve, and Soda were wolf-whistling while Rachel, Evie, and Ashlynn were lightly smacking their boyfriends' arms and telling them to shut up.

"You've got special girlfriend privileges", Pony whispered teasingly. "You can go ahead and check me out if you want."

I laughed a bit. "Okay."

He smirked and kissed my forehead before we all sat down and passed around sandwiches for a late lunch.

"Damn", Soda said to Pony. "How'd you grow up so fast? I remember when you started walking and now you're seventeen."

"Time flies", he shrugged before taking a sip of his Pepsi.

"Don't I know it", Darry sighed with a laugh. "It's not we ever expected Steve bein' married and having a baby on the way by graduation."

"Neither did I", Steve laughed. "At least, not this soon."

"Wonder who's gonna get hitched next", Two-Bit chuckled.

"Well, Rachel caught the bouquet at Steve and Evie's wedding", Ashlynn pointed out. "So maybe it's y'all."

"I ain't even outta college yet, ya weirdo", Rachel laughed and flicked Ashlynn on the head.

"Hey! It's just a thought", Ashlynn exclaimed and put up her hands in surrender. "If we're followin' tradition here, you're getting married next."

"If we're followin' tradition, then Darry should've gotten married first since he's oldest", Evie piped up.

"I dunno what social services would do if I got married before both'a these two nut-cases are outta the house, but I reckon it wouldn't be pretty", Darry said as he nodded at Soda and Pony.

We all nodded in response and continued to eat our late-lunch/early-dinner before the cake came out.

"Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, dear Ponyboy.

Happy birthday to you", we sang. He blew out the candles and I kissed him on the cheek as Darry cut up the cake.

 **Hey guys! Sorry it took a bit to get this up; lots of editing went down while writing. Hopefully, I'll be getting a few more chapters up before school starts. Fingers crossed. I don't like that summer is almost over. It's so much nicer to sleep all day than go to school. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	10. Chapter 10

After a few more hours at the lake, we all drove back to the Curtis' house, where, Two-Bit being Two-Bit, decided that we should all play truth or dare.

"C'mon guys!" he encouraged. "It'll be fun!"

"Will it really, though?" I asked.

"Yes, it will. Now, everyone sit on your asses."

Some of us laughed, while some rolled their eyes at him. Some did both (namely me). But we all sat down in a deformed circle in the Curtis' living room.

"As long as nobody prank calls anyone asking for cats", Darry started, looking at Ruth and the rest of us girls, "I think we should be alright."

"I'm gonna start since I came up with this amazing idea", Two-Bit announced as he searched the circle for his first victim. His eyes eventually landed on Steve and a maniacal grin spread across his face

"Oh, hell no", Steve said and shook his head defiantly.

"Oh, hell yes, my compadre. Truth or dare?"

"Dare, goddamnit. I ain't no sissy."

Two-Bit thought of a suitable dare for much longer than was needed.

"Would you just hurry it up already?" Ruth asked, exasperated.

"Fine. Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Do an impersonation of Pony."

Steve looked to his right, seeing Ponyboy.

"Oh this is too easy", he laughed. He got up, went into Pony and Soda's room and came back with a book before spreading out on the couch and opening up the book, pretending to read. He stayed like that, flipping pages every now and then, for about 3 minutes. We just stared at him until Two-Bit spoke up.

"Okay, we get the point", he chuckled. "Pone likes to read. Now sit back down."

Steve tossed the book onto the coffee table and sat back down, scanning the circle.

"Darry, truth or dare?"

"I guess I'll choose dare", he sighed.

"Switch shirts with Ruth for the rest of the game."

Darry and Ruth looked at each other before standing up and going into the other room. When they came back a few minutes later, Ruth was wearing Darry's red T-shirt that covered her all the way to the hem of her shorts. Then Darry came out with Ruth's stretchy white blouse on, which rode up a good 4 inches above the waistline of his jeans. We all started laughing hysterically when we saw him, even Darry himself. I guess he realized how ridiculous it must have looked.

Once we finally calmed down enough to speak properly, Darry turned to Soda and asked "Truth or dare?"

"I think you know my answer to that one, big brother", Soda told him and cocked an eyebrow.

"What is it with you boys and dares?" Rachel asked. "I swear…"

"Do jumping jacks until your next turn." We all knew this wouldn't be a problem for Soda since he was always moving anyway.

Sodapop got up and started doing jumping jacks, causing pictures on the walls and the T.V to shake and rattle.

"Okay", Darry interrupted his brother. "Maybe in the kitchen instead. Where I can see you."

Soda jogged over to the kitchen and started doing jumping jacks again, this time not making the house seem like it was in the midst of an earthquake.

"Ash, truth or dare?" he asked.

"Truth", she answered.

"You're no fun", he laughed. "Um…Did you have a nickname when you were a kid?"

"Oh! Oh! I know it", I exclaimed and raised my hand.

"You wouldn't dare", Ashlynn said.

"You damn-well know that I would. Either you tell 'em or I do."

She sighed heavily. "Pooh."

Soda stopped his athletics in shock. Nobody called him out for it, though since everyone was staring at Ashlynn in either confusion or disgust.

"What? You were called poo? Like crap?"

"No! P-O-O-H", she spelled out. "As in Winnie the Pooh. My mom used to call me that when I was little."

I was giggling relentlessly and everyone was giving me odd looks.

"You okay there, darlin'?" Pony asked with a smile as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah", I wheezed out. "Just gimme a minute." And so I laughed and laughed for another few minutes until I calmed down.

"Are you satisfied now?" Ashlynn asked me.

"Oh, you have no idea."

The game went on like this for a while, the boys mostly doing dares and the girls usually doing truth. Ruth and Rachel were the bravest out of all of us. They were the ones that did any dares. The only boy that didn't do any dares was Ponyboy. Sure, he wasn't the best in the common sense department, but at least he had enough to not choose dare. Everyone seemed to like asking the two of us inappropriate questions, whether it was a truth or a dare.

"Lily, truth or dare?" Steve asked me.

"Truth."

"What base have you Pony gone to?" This got him a light slap upside the head from his wife.

"Um…I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I know that there are 'bases'. I just don't know what each of them means", I told him, using finger quotations around "bases".

Steve leaned over and whispered in my ear what each of them meant, causing me to blush.

"First", I said finally. "Just first."

"Damn, Pony", Steve laughed. "I thought more of you." And that caused both Pony and I to slap him upside the head.

"Truth or dare?" Two-Bit asked Pony a bit later.

"Dare! Dare! Dare! Dare!" everyone chanted, except Pony and I, of course. They carried on like this for a good 5 minutes before Pony finally relented. Hey, I said he had some common sense, not that he was immune to peer pressure.

"I dare you too…" Two-Bit started, then acquired the single most devious facial expression I had ever seen on a human being. "I dare you to take Lily into the closet and play Seven Minutes in Heaven."

Pony and I both blushed and looked at each other.

"I'm not gonna make you, y'know, darlin'. You don't have to."

I shook my head and stuttered over my words a bit. "N-no. It's okay."

We stood up and went into Soda and Pony's room, closing the door.

"Alright, I'm settin' the timer for seven minutes!" Two-Bit called. "Ready. Set. Go!"

We just sat on the bed, not really talking for a minute or so.

"How the hell did we get into this?" Pony questioned me.

"I wish I knew, honey", I answered honestly.

"We could just sit in here and talk if you want to. It's not like they'll know as long as we're quiet."

It was so incredibly sweet and endearing of him that even after almost three years of being together, he still asked for my permission to do stuff like this. He would never make me do anything that I didn't want to, and I was so thankful for that. In many ways, our relationship was just as innocent as it had been that first night sitting out on the Curtis' back steps while we watched the sunset.

"We don't have to make out", I told him. "We can kiss and talk and just do the regular stuff we do when we're alone."

He simply took my hand and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips. It didn't last very long, maybe 10 seconds, but it took my breath away just like all of his kisses did.

I rested my head on his shoulder and rubbed my thumb over his knuckles. "Did you have a good birthday?"

"I had a wonderful birthday", he told me and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I was with all of y'all. Especially you. That's what makes it good."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you", he said, kissing my forehead. "I love you, you know that?"

"I think I mighta gotten a clue", I smiled. "But you know what?"

He looked at me expectantly.

"I love you too", I told him.

"I'd be concerned if you didn't, darlin'."

Even though I had lived my entire life in Oklahoma, I never really picked up on the accent. Well, not as much as everyone else did. Namely my own boyfriend. Sure, he'd had a Southern accent since he had lived here his whole life and there was nobody to alter it like there was for me with my parents' accents, but in that past year or so, it had become thicker and sweeter, more noticeable. It was just about as thick as anyone's accent in Tulsa could get and it was my undoing. It positively made me melt. Especially when he called me "darlin'". Then when his voice broke along with his accent getting stronger, I thought it would be the death of me.

I could only hope that our kids would develop his accent and not mine. Mine almost wasn't natural. It was a strange combination that never sounded nice. Oklahoma's sweet, warm accent was like the Indian summers that happened there almost every year. Boston's accent was colder and harsher like the blizzards that happened up there during the winter which my parents had relayed tales about time and time again. My accent was like the Indian summer had come up north during a blizzard, turning all the snow to slush. That's what it was: slush. Not able to decide whether it was a liquid or a solid. Just slush. Our kids didn't need that.

When I broke out of my reverie, I looked over at Pony, finding him lost in thought too. I loved that we could do that, just sit in complete silence with our own thoughts and not feel distant. It was a nice change from all the talking I did when I was with my family or the gang.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked me.

"Just stuff", I shrugged.

"Two more minutes, kiddos!" Two-Bit shouted from the living room. "If any clothes are off, start puttin' 'em back on!" Then I heard a slap and an "Ouch!" that I could only assume was either Sodapop or Darry smacking him.

"Wanna give 'em a show?" Pony asked, a mischievous glint in his green eyes. I knew exactly what he meant.

"Sure. Why not?" I smiled before leaning up and cupping his cheek, kissing him. He smiled into the kiss and put his hand lightly on the back of my neck. I shuddered at the feeling of my cold still-damp hair again my warm skin, causing him to laugh.

"You okay?" he muttered against my lips.

"Yeah", I laughed slightly. "My hair's just cold."

He chuckled and went back to kissing me. It only took a few seconds for the timer to go off and Two-Bit to bust open the door. We didn't jump apart, just pulling away like we did every other time.

"Your clothes aren't on backwards", Two-Bit observed, "and your hair isn't a mess. So either y'all didn't make out or you're just real good at gettin' ready fast."

"It's the first one", Pony told him and led me back out to the circle of people.

"Didn't I say Seven Minutes in Heaven?" Two-Bit laughed.

"Yeah. And?"

"That means you make out."

"Well, how were we supposed to know that?" I asked innocently. "It's not like we've ever played before."

I showered while the game continued, wanting to get the grime out of my hair. I always enjoyed the lake, I just didn't enjoy the fact that there was dirt and gross stuff in there all the time. Mom always said she understood what I meant. She liked the ocean when she went to Cape Cod better than lakes because it just felt cleaner with the tides and currents washing dirt and seaweed away.

When I got out of the shower, I grabbed my pajamas and slipped them on, along with some new undergarments. It felt nice after being in a bathing suit all day. I brushed out my hair before going back out into the living room, seeing Rachel hopping around like a madwoman.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked her, genuinely confused and concerned for my friend's safety.

"She got dared to put ice down her pants", Evie responded. Her hand rested on her stomach and I could only guess that the baby was kicking.

"Rachel Johnson, why would you do a stupid thing like that?" I questioned and went into what the gang referred to as "mom-mode", putting my hands on my hips and cocking my head with an expression that very clearly read "What the hell are you doing?".

"Because I was dared. Didn't you hear Evie?" She continued to hop around as she talked.

"You're gonna get a rash down there, I'm tellin' you right now", I warned her. She just waved me off.

Pony pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. "I like your outfit."

My pajamas consisted of his football jersey that I had kept and a pair of pajama shorts. I would have chosen something with longer sleeves to hide my scars, but I figured that everyone had all seen the worst of them today, so just seeing the scars on my arm couldn't be too bad.

"What?" I laughed as I tugged slightly at the jersey. "This old thing?"

"Yeah, that old thing", he smiled and kissed my cheek.

I rested my head on his shoulder before he picked me up and lay me down on the couch. I looked up at him confusedly.

"I'm gonna go take a shower", he explained. "I'll be right back. Then you can sleep on me all you want."

"Good", I responded, curling up into a ball.

He went and took his shower and was back in about 10 minutes wearing a wife-beater and a pair of sweatpants. He looked adorable to me, especially when he came over and wrapped me up in his arms.

"You wanna go to bed?" he asked.

"Mm-hm", I hummed with a nod.

"Darry, where's everyone sleeping?"

Darry looked up at him, then down at his watch. "I think we should wrap it up, y'all. It's gettin' late."

Everyone but Rachel, Two-Bit, Soda, and Steve nodded.

"So where're we all sleepin'?" Pony repeated.

"Steve and Evie can go into Mom and Dad's room since that bed's the biggest", Soda suggested.

"We don't have to", Evie said. "I don't wanna mess with their privacy."

"No, it's fine", Darry assured them. "Y'all need the space. Me and Ruth'll sleep in my room."

"I call Soda and Pony's room!" Two-Bit announced.

"Fine, but I sleep in that bed, so don't you go'n do anything", Soda told him, Pony nodding in agreement. He looked like he was falling asleep right along with me.

"Me and Soda'll take the recliner or the floor since Lily and Pony look just about ready to conk out right now", Ashlynn said.

"No, it's okay", I told her, slurring my words in my exhaustion. "We-we can move."

"Y'all just stay there", Darry ordered. "Get some sleep."

Pony nodded against the crook of my neck, which he had buried his head into while I had done the same to him. He lay down on his side, his body between me and the back of the couch. I snuggled my head into his chest and was too tired to care about all the noise everybody else was making. He lightly kissed my forehead and pulled me closer.

"I love you, honey", I told him as I drifted off.

"I love you too, darlin'. And I always will", he said back and almost immediately, we were both asleep.

XxXxXxXxXx

Steve and Evie got the house they had been hoping for the next week. We all went over and had a small housewarming party for them.

"It's just so quiet", Evie mused.

"Just wait", Darry told them. "Soon this house'll be anything but quiet with the baby."

"I'm looking forward to him, though", Evie smiled down at her stomach.

"Her", Steve smirked.

"Him", she said, giving her husband a knowing look.

A few weeks later, we went back to school and I decided to try something. Since nobody had said anything about my scars, I figured that I would wear short sleeves and not put any makeup on my scars for the first time in years. I had a sweater with me, though, just in case.

While he, Ashlynn, and I walked to school, he finally noticed.

"Darlin', I dunno if you know, but you didn't put any makeup on your scars", he whispered.

"I know", I said shyly. "I figured I would try it out and see if anyone notices. Are they bad?"

"No", he quickly assured me. "No, not at all. You look as beautiful as ever. Maybe even more."

"Thanks, honey", I blushed. "You think I'll be okay?"

"I _know_ you'll be okay."

Sure enough, he was right. Nobody noticed or cared about my scars. As school continued, I started not covering up my scars as much.

Ponyboy tried out and got into football again soon after the school year started and stayed after school practically every day for practice.

Madame Evelyn had offered me the teaching position, along with Ashlynn and we both accepted. So about a week after school started we taught our first class which consisted of six little girls: Diana, Debby, Kelly, Jane, Isabella, and Virginia.

A few weeks later, the football team had their first game, which they lost. Pony was pretty torn up about it.

"I just feel like I let 'em down, y'know?" he told me that night.

"It's not your fault, love. Not by a long shot. You did really great, but things happen. There's always next week and the week after that and the week after that and every week until the season ends", I assured him, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I guess so", he sighed as he put his head on top of mine.

"I love you, honey", I told him.

"I love you too, darlin'", he said back and kissed my head. "Thanks for cheerin' me up."

"You're welcome", I smiled.

XxXxXxXxXx

About a month after school started, it was Pony and I's three-year anniversary. Luckily, we didn't have to worry about any surprise visits from social services. It was a school night and we couldn't stay out late, so we simply went to dinner at Dairy Queen after work which was perfectly fine with me.

On my birthday when we were at school, I noticed flyers up everywhere that said that the school would be putting on a performance of the play _The Diary of Anne Frank_ and anyone that wanted to audition could go to the auditorium and audition in a week.

On the way home from school that day, I was gushing to Ashlynn about how excited I was about it. I would have been going on to Pony too, but he had practice.

"You should try out", she told me.

"No", I said sharply.

"Why not?"

"I'm not good at going up in front of people."

"What the hell are you talkin' about? We go up on stage every year for the show and last year we did it for Swan Lake."

"I just feel like I'd feel stupid acting in front of all those people. And what if I have to sing?"

"How much do you think you'll be singing in a play about Anne Frank? Answer me honestly."

"Not much", I admitted, "but what if-"

"Just try it. The worst that could happen is you don't get in."

"But what if I completely suck at acting in front of everyone? If I screw up big time?"

"They wouldn't put you in _period_ if you sucked. If you don't audition, I'm gonna _make_ you audition."

"Fine", I sighed, quickly adding, "but you have to be there."

"Wouldn't miss it", she smirked.

So a week later, Ashlynn, Ponyboy, and I were walking to the auditorium so I could audition. He miraculously didn't have practice that day, so he insisted on coming, which I wasn't opposed to. It even reassured me a bit that he would be there.

When we got into the auditorium, there was someone on stage that was giving a very impassioned reading of what I could only assume was Mrs. Van Daan's role. We stood silently at the doorway until she finished, prompting the people sitting down, along with a young blonde woman to applaud her before noticing us.

"Hello", she chirped. "Are y'all auditioning?"

"Just her", Ashlynn said and pushed me forward, causing me to glare at her a little.

"Wonderful", the woman said. "I'm Mrs. Rote."

"I'm Lily Smith", I told her.

"And what role will you be auditioning for?"

"Anne", I said shyly, hoping it wouldn't be too pretentious to say that I was going for the title role.

"Sounds great. There aren't many people going for her. I'm guessin' it just seems daunting", Mrs. Rote rambled as she thumbed through a stack of papers, finally pulling one out and hopping out of her chair, walking towards me. "You'll be reading last, dear, but while you're waiting you can read through the script."

As Mrs. Rote walked towards me, I got a better look at her. She was only about 5'2 and was a little bigger than me weight-wise. Her navy-blue pencil skirt clung to her legs while the sleeves of her flowy white blouse moved with every move she made. She seemed very nice and young. She was straight out of college that year, I had heard.

"Here you go, Lily. It's nice to meet you", she told me with a smile and shook my hand. "Now who are your friends?"

"This is my boyfriend, Ponyboy Curtis, and this is my best friend, Ashlynn Young", I said, putting a hand on their arms as I introduced them.

"It's nice to meet y'all", Mrs. Rote told them, shaking their hands too. "Now, just sit back and relax until it's time for you to go up."

I nodded thankfully and we all sat in the back row of seats. All the other people that were auditioning were sitting near the front.

"You excited?" Pony asked, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers.

"Yeah, but I'm really nervous too", I admitted as I opened the script.

"A wise woman once told me that it's good to be nervous."

"And who was that?"

"You", he smiled and kissed my temple.

I read through the script as people auditioned, trying to block out their voices and the applause that came after each reading, even if they were bad. After who knows how long, I was called up.

"Lily Smith, auditioning for Anne", Mrs. Rote announced. Everyone turned towards me, making me blush.

"Break a leg", Pony said, giving me a quick kiss.

"Thanks, honey", I told him.

Ashlynn squeezed my arm reassuringly before I walked up the auditorium aisle and onto the stage.

"So, Lily…" Mrs. Rote trailed off while she flipped through the script, presumably looking for something for me to read. "Could you please read Anne's opening monologue? Starting where her and Mr. Frank are both speaking."

I nodded and found the page, taking a deep breath before starting to read. "My father started a business, importing spice and herbs. Things went well for us until nineteen forty. Then the war came, and the Dutch capitulation, followed by the arrival of the Germans. Then things got very bad for the Jews. You could not do this and you could not do that. They forced Father out of his business. We had to wear yellow stars. I had turn in my bike. I couldn't go to a Dutch school anymore. I couldn't go to the movies, or ride in an automobile, or even on a street-car, and a million other things. But somehow we children still managed to have fun. Yesterday Father told me we were going into hiding. Where, he wouldn't say. At five o'clock this morning Mother woke me and told me to hurry and get dressed. I was to put on as many clothes as I could. It would look too suspicious if we walked along carrying suitcases. It wasn't until we were in our way that I learned where we were going. Our hiding place was to be upstairs in the building where Father used to have his business. Three other people are coming in with us…the Van Daans and their son Peter…Father knew the Van Daans but we had never met them…"

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Rote praised. "Now go to Act One, Scene Three where Anne comes out in Peter's clothes. I'll be Peter."

I flipped through the pages, finally finding the one she was taking about and smiling to myself as I started to read. "Good evening, everyone. Forgive me if I don't stay. I have a friend waiting for me in there. My friend Tom. Tom Cat. Some people say that we look alike. But Tom has the most beautiful whiskers, and I only have a little fuzz. I am hoping…in time…"

The other were all laughing at the scene and it took all I had not to break out into laughter too.

"All right, Mrs. Quack Quack!" Mrs. Rote said provokingly.

"Peter!" I yelled.

"I heard about you…How you talked so much in class they called you Mrs. Quack Quack. How Mr. Smitter made you write a composition… 'Quack, Quack', said Mrs. Quack Quack'."

"Well, go on. Tell them the rest. How it was so good he read it out loud to the class and then read it to all his other classes!"

"Quack! Quack! Quack…Quack…Quack…"

"You are the most intolerable, insufferable boy I've ever met!"

Mrs. Rote didn't say any dialogue after that, just applauding along with everyone else. I assumed I was done, so I nodded in thanks since a blush was rapidly making its way across my face.

"Wonderful job, Lily. Thank you", she told me before announcing the person to audition. "Now Sarah Well, auditioning for Anne."

As I sat down, a tall brunette walked up to the stage and was instructed on what to read. Now, I didn't think I did perfectly, but I felt like I did better than Sarah. She read everything correctly, but just didn't seem to have any passion or feeling while speaking. She was the last person to audition.

"Alright", Mrs. Rote stared as she climbed up onto the stage so she could be seen. "I'll make my decisions over the next few days and the cast will be up on the school bulletin board on Monday during lunch. Thank y'all for auditioning and have a good night."

"You're definitely gettin' that role", Pony told me on our way to my house.

"You think so?" I asked.

"Totally", Ashlynn said.

XxXxXxXxXx

Those next few days were riddled with anxiety. I wanted that role badly, no matter what I said, and could only hope that I would get it.

On Monday, I jogged down the halls to the bulletin board with Ashlynn and Ponyboy trailing behind me.

"Slow down!" Pony told me. "We could get caught by a teacher."

"We're almost there", I reminded him. I turned the last corner and skidded to a halt when I saw everyone that had auditioned in a mob. I cautiously walked over and squeezed through the people to look at the casting list.

My eyes scanned over the roles until I got to Anne. My eyes read every letter of the name of the person that got the part so I wouldn't accidentally skip over anything. It was my name.

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened as I read it over and over again.

 _Anne Frank: Lily Smith_

Some of the crowd had dispersed and I felt new people come in.

"What is it, darlin'? Did you get it?" Pony asked from behind me.

I whipped around and nodded, a huge smile making its way onto my face.

He laughed and picked me up in a hug, spinning me around. "I knew you'd get it! I knew it!"

"See? If I hadn't made you audition, this wouldn't be happening", Ashlynn told me knowingly when Pony put me down.

"You suck, but I love you, Ash", I laughed as I gave her a hug.

"Love you too, ya big goof", she laughed.

Rehearsals were Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so on those days Ashlynn stayed in the auditorium and watched while Pony had practice. Then we all walked home together before going to work.

The boy who was playing Peter was a junior named Roger Davis and he was a Soc. He was also annoying as all hell. He was a good actor, but he wanted everything his way and seemed to think everything revolved around him. He also found it fun to hit on me all the time, even though it was a well-known fact that I had a boyfriend. He especially did it between scenes when we were reviewing our lines. It must have looked like we were just talking, because nobody bothered us or questioned his behavior.

About a month after Pony and I's three-year anniversary and only about a week after the anniversary of Johnny and Dally's deaths, he took it too far.

Ashlynn had caught a cold, so she wasn't in school that day. Roger took full advantage of this fact and hit on me every chance he got and worse than usual, whispering disgusting things in my ear and putting his hand on my upper thigh.

"Stop it", I told him sternly. "I have a boyfriend."

"C'mon, you know you want me", he smirked.

"No, I don't, actually", I said as I scooted my chair farther away from him.

He went on like that until rehearsal was over and everyone was packing up. Everyone was gone except for him and I since he had his own car and I was waiting for Pony to get out of practice.

I switched the strap of my bag from my right to my left shoulder to distribute the weight as I stood near the doorway of the auditorium. Suddenly, I felt something. I turned to Roger in outrage. That little piece of crap had smacked my butt.

"Excuse me?" I said, trying to control my voice. "What the hell was that?"

"Just tryin' to show you how much I like your ass", he told me, moving closer. "Your tits are pretty nice too. Mind showing me them?"

"What the hell is wrong with you, you little pervert?"!" I yelled at him.

He strode over to me, ripped my bag off of my shoulder, and started groping my butt with one hand and my breasts with the other.

"Get off of me, you bastard!" I screamed and struggled against him. The arm that was around me wasn't loosening its hold, no matter how much I fought against him. I started cussing him out with practically every nasty word I knew, which there were a lot of.

I hated the way he looked at me. It was the same way those Socs had looked at me when they had jumped me three years before: like a hungry wolf that just spotted its next meal.

I continued to try and wiggle free of his grasp, but he just took the arm of the hand he was using to feel my chest and wrapped it tightly around my back, groping my other breast since it could be reached. Curses kept streaming out of my mouth and tears were coming to my eyes.

 _I'm going to be raped_ , I thought. _I'm going to be raped by this bastard._

"Let me go, you asshole!" I yelled between gritted teeth.

"Oh, those kinds of words shouldn't be comin' outta that pretty little mouth", he said. "I know how to fix that." He proceeded to start kissing me, shoving his tongue down my throat. I screamed, but it was muffled by his mouth. When I tried to bite his tongue, he pulled me closer and groped me harder, causing me to gasp and whimper in pain. I could already tell there were going to be bruises.

I hated him. I hated this boy so much.

"What the hell is this?" I heard a voice roar. Roger's grip on me disappeared and I finally got loose from him, only to turn away from him and see my boyfriend. His fists were clenched, his jaw was set, and he looked ready to pounce. His normally sweet green eyes were hard and icy.

Suddenly, I realized what it must have looked like to him.

"Pony, it's not what it looks like", I told him. When I reached towards him, he pulled away. My heart shattered in my chest.

"Like hell, it isn't!" Pony yelled. "You're cheating on me with this prick! You betrayed my trust!" He stormed out of the room and ran down the hall. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Now…", Roger drawled, "where were we?"

Since I was free, I fought back with all my strength, seeing him in the groin and punching him in the face. "Go to hell, you son of a bitch!"

Before I knew it, my bag was over my shoulder and I was sprinting down the hall as I sobbed my eyes out. I knew where I needed to go: the Curtis' house. Ponyboy would be there. I was sure of it.

My skirt flew behind me and I stumbled and almost tripped several times due to the tears streaming down my face hindering my vision. But I knew where I was going and I was going to get there if it killed me.

My breaths came out in pants as I ran down Pony's street, finally coming to his house and bursting through the door. I heard sobbing and I knew it was Ponyboy, which only made me cry harder.

I ran into his and Soda's room, only to see him sitting on his bed with his face in his hands. His body was racked with sobs.

"Ponyboy", I whimpered.

His head shot up and he glared daggers at me.

"Ponyboy", I repeated again, my voice coming out as only a hoarse whisper.

"Get out."

"No."

"What the hell do you want?"

"I-I want t-to explain", I stuttered over my words as I cried.

"I think I saw enough to get an explanation", he growled.

"Goddamnit!" I yelled. "No you didn't! You saw nothing!"

"I'm pretty damn sure I saw somethin'!" he yelled back.

"I wasn't doing anything! I was waiting for you and that asshole started groping me and feeling me up! He's been saying these awful things to me all day and he's always hitting on me! I kept telling him to get off, but he wouldn't listen! I want nothing to do with him. He can go to hell. I want _you_. I love _you_. I tell him that every time I see him, but he never listens! If you hadn't come he would've raped me! I hate him, that son of a bitch!"

I was sobbing and crying harder than I had in my entire life and had started to hyperventilate. I collapsed onto the floor and cried into my knees as I became increasingly light-headed.

The mattress groaned and squeaked and when I finally lifted up my head, I saw my boyfriend sitting next to me. His eyes were bloodshot and tears were still dripping out of them. His face was soft and reassuring as he lifted up a hand and lightly cupped my cheek.

"Is that true? Did he really do all that to you?" he asked softly.

Words wouldn't make their way out of my mouth, so I just nodded as tears continued to pour from my eyes.

We were silent for a while until l spoke. My voice was shaky and small, but I managed to get out an "I'm sorry".

"No", Pony muttered and scooted a little closer to me. "No, don't say that. It's not your fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"It's not your fault either", I quietly insisted. "You had every right to jump to conclusions about what you saw."

"It's his fault", he said. "It's all his fault, the asshole."

I nodded in agreement.

"Come here", Pony whispered to me, wrapping me in his arms. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay."

This set off a whole new round of sobbing as I sat in his lap and cried into his neck. My arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and my fingers gripped at his hair. I felt like I needed something to anchor me and he was it.

"Stay with me", I whimpered.

"Forever, darlin'. Forever", he whispered and gently kissed my neck.

A few minutes later, he tilted up my head and searched my eyes before kissing me. It was soft at first, but evolved into more. I felt the opposite of what I had felt when Roger was kissing me, if it could even be called kissing. Roger had made me feel dirty and disgusting and like an object. All he wanted was to get in my pants. When Pony kissed me that all went away. I felt loved and protected and like a person. It made me feel whole.

The kiss wasn't gentle. It was desperate and hungry and rough and messy. Teeth clashed and hair was pulled. Yet it somehow maintained innocence. For what it lacked in carefulness and coordination, it made up for in emotion and love. The purpose seemed solely to be as close to one another as possible.

Pony lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his middle while his were holding me under my butt so I wouldn't fall. He carried me over to the bed where I was lain down. He hovered over me, propped up on his elbows with one hand on the back of my neck and the other on my back.

After a while, we pulled away, breathing heavily. Our lips were swollen and our faces were flushed.

"I love you", Ponyboy murmured against my lips. I didn't know why, but for some reason when he said it right then, I felt like it meant so much. Every time we said it to each other, we meant it, but I just felt like this time meant more somehow.

"I love you too", I told him, my voice breathy.

He lowered himself down on the bed next to me and pulled me into his arms. I put my forehead on his chest and felt his heartbeat. I loved knowing that he was there.

"We're late for work", I randomly said.

I could feel and hear Pony laugh. "They can live one day without us."

"Mm-hm", I hummed in agreement and nodded my head.

"I'm so sorry he did that to you, darlin'."

"I am too."

"I'm gonna kill him tomorrow when we get to school."

"I already punched him and kicked him in the crotch, but be my guest", I muttered into his T-shirt. "He deserves it."

That was when the phone rang. Pony got up and answered it. I could hear his side of the conversation.

"Hello?…Hey, Soda. I don't think I can come in today…I'll tell you later…Just tell him that I'm sick, okay?…Thanks, Pepsi-Cola. Can you call the bookstore and tell Evie that Lily's not coming either?…Thanks…I love you too."

He came back into bed and held me close again. "We don't have to worry about work now. I think it's been a long enough day as it is."

"Yeah", I sighed.

"I love you so much", he told me and kissed my head. "And I always will."

"I love you too. So much", I said. "And I always will."

(Ponyboy POV)

I had just finished football practice and was on my way to the auditorium to pick up my girlfriend so we could walk home. When I walked in I was greeted with the sight of her in a guy's arms. His tongue was down her throat and his hands were squeezing everywhere that they shouldn't have been.

"What the hell is this?" I screamed. I was so mad that I was seeing red.

They broke apart and Lily turned towards me. "Pony, it's not what it looks like."

"Like hell, it isn't! You're cheating on me with this prick. You betrayed my trust!" I ran out of the room and down the hall. I needed to get home. I needed to be alone.

I sprinted all the way to my house, busting through the door and chucking my bag onto the floor once I was in my room. I sat on my bed and started to cry. I thought she loved me like I loved her. Why would she do this to me?

A few minutes later, I heard the door slam open again, but paid it no mind. It was probably Soda or Two-Bit.

"Ponyboy", I heard a small voice say. I looked up to see my girlfriend. Tears were streaming down her face. My heart broke, but I made myself keep it inside. _I'm mad at her_ , I reminded myself. _She cheated._

She said my name again.

"Get out", I told her.

"No."

"What the hell do you want?"

"I-I want t-to explain", she stuttered.

"I think I saw enough to get an explanation", I said.

"Goddamnit!" she yelled. "No you didn't! You saw nothing!"

"I'm pretty damn sure I saw somethin'!"

"I wasn't doing anything! I was waiting for you and that asshole started groping me and feeling me up! He's been saying these awful things to me all day and he's always hitting on me! I kept telling him to get off, but he wouldn't listen! I want nothing to do with him. He can go to hell. I want _you_. I love _you_. I tell him that every time I see him, but he never listens! If you hadn't come he would've raped me! I hate him, that son of a bitch!" she screamed as she sobbed, starting to hyperventilate. She sunk down to the floor and cried into her knees.

I allowed my heart to openly break. Why did this stuff always happen to her? She didn't deserve this. I couldn't believe he tried to do that. It was wrong and despicable and disgusting. I felt awful for accusing her of cheating after she had had to deal with all of that.

Without a second thought, I got up and sat down on the floor next to her. She lifted her face up from her knees. Her beautiful brown eyes were filed with tears and heartbreak. Streaks of mascara were visible on her face.

"Is that true?" I asked her. "Did he really do all that to you?"

She nodded and I didn't know what to say. What was there to say?

"I'm sorry", she whimpered.

"No. No, don't say that", I told her, coming closer. "It's not your fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"It's not your fault either", she told me. "You had every right to jump to conclusions about what you saw."

"It's his fault", I said. "It's all his fault, the asshole."

She just nodded again. She looked like she was about to break into a million little pieces.

"Come here", I encouraged. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay."

Lily moved into my lap and I held her while she cried into my neck. They were terrible, heart-wrenching sobs. She seemed so small and fragile. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her hands tangled into my hair. She was holding me so tight, I felt like she was going to break my neck, but I didn't care. I needed her and she needed me.

"Stay with me", she whimpered brokenly into my neck. This made my heart shatter even more.

"Forever, darlin'", I assured her. "Forever."

The two of us stayed like that for a while. She slowly calmed down in my arms and I could feel her breaths start to even out.

I lifted up her head and looked into her eyes. She seemed so broken, so tired. I couldn't think of anything to say so I kissed her. I kissed her deeply and lovingly, trying to fill all the cracks in her heart. It soon got rougher, more needy. I knew it was because we needed each other. We needed each other in the most innocent way possible. We needed each other to live.

She wasn't as tense in my arms and I could sense that she was more relaxed now, which in turn relaxed me. I picked her up and her legs wrapped around my middle as I brought her over to the bed. I knew nothing was going to happen, but I figured it would be more comfortable than the floor. She was lying under me and I propped myself up so I wouldn't crush her while we kissed.

After a while, we pulled apart.

"I love you", I told her, murmuring it against her lips. I always meant it when I said it to her and I could tell the same went for her, but I felt like it meant more this time. I couldn't put my finger on why.

"I love you too", she whispered.

I carefully moved from hovering over her to laying next to her and folded her into my arms as she rested her forehead on my chest.

"We're late for work", she told me.

That was the least of my concerns. "They can live one day without us", I laughed.

She agreed with a hum and nodded.

"I'm so sorry he did that to you, darlin'", I told her honestly.

"I am too."

"I'm gonna kill him tomorrow when we get to school."

"I already punched him and kicked him in the crotch, but be my guest. He deserves it", she said. I almost laughed. My tuff girl.

The phone rang and I reluctantly got up and answered it. "Hello?"

"It's Soda. Where are you?"

"Hey, Soda. I don't think I can come in today."

"What? Why not?"

"I'll tell you later."

"What about the boss-man?"

"Just tell him that I'm sick, okay?"

"Sure, Pony."

"Thanks, Pepsi-Cola. Can you call the bookstore and tell Evie that Lily's not coming either?"

"I guess so."

"Thanks."

"I love you, Pone."

"I love you too."

Lily was right where I left her when I got back into bed.

"We don't have to worry about work now", I told her. "I think it's been a long enough day as it is."

"Yeah", she agreed.

"I love you so much", I said, kissing her head. "And I always will."

"I love you too. So much", she said back. "And I always will."

 **Hey, guys! I know, it got kind of dark in this chapter, but I had this idea and I think it turned out pretty okay. Roger sucks, I think we can all agree on that. If your name is Roger, I mean no offense, it's just the first name that popped into my head. Baby Randle is coming soon and I'm honestly really excited to write that. All quotes from the** _ **Diary of Anne Frank**_ **play go to their owners, as do rights to** _ **The Outsiders**_ **. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavelclaw13**


	11. Chapter 11

The next day during lunch, Ponyboy insisted on telling Mrs. Rote about what had happened.

"But what if he does it again since we told her?" I asked. "Or something worse?"

He took my hand and lightly kissed my knuckles. "I won't let him touch you. If he wants you, he'll have to go through me and the gang first."

"Okay", I said hesitantly.

We asked the receptionist in the office where Mrs. Rote would be during lunch and went there. Ashlynn was still out with a cold.

"Um…Mrs. Rote?" I said to get her attention as we stood in the doorway to the auditorium.

"Oh, hello, Lily", she smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you about something…well, someone."

Pony and I walked in and went over to the stage where she was sitting, flipping through papers. Her eyebrows were scrunched in confusion.

"Someone?" she asked.

I grabbed Pony's hand and squeezed it tightly. My stomach was rolling at the thought of what I was about to tell her.

"Do you want me to tell her?" Pony asked sweetly.

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Rote asked, genuinely confused.

"I-I…", I started, not knowing how to start. "It's Roger Davis."

"What about him?" She looked concerned now and hopped off the stage. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Sweetie, you can tell me anything. Don't be afraid."

"Since we started rehearsals, he's been hitting on me…", I told her, trailing off. She nodded at me to continued and Pony rubbed his thumb along my knuckles. I sighed and told her about what had happened as quickly as possible, hoping to rip it off like a band-aid.

"He did what?" Mrs. Rote asked in disbelief, mostly to herself. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. What do you want me to do? Should I tell the principal?"

"Yes", Pony answered for me. "He needs to get what he deserves. He bruised her, for Christ's sake."

He looked down at me and I gave him a look that said "You weren't supposed to tell her that!".

"Lily, sweetie, did he bruise you?" Mrs. Rote asked softly, taking the hand that my boyfriend wasn't holding.

"Yeah", I whispered.

"May I see?"

I nodded hesitantly and pulled the neckline of my shirt down so she could see the beginnings of the marks he left when he groped my breast. I had started to feel the bruises the night before and when I looked at them in the shower, I started to cry.

Mrs. Rote covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God. How many more are there?"

"They're all over my chest and behind", I told her shyly, but truthfully.

"Lily, I need to report this. This is assault. He's going to get suspended over this at the least."

"What about the play?" I asked. "You need a Peter."

"We have an understudy, and even if we didn't, I'd figure it out. You have enough to worry about", she looked at me and opened her arms. "Come here."

I cautiously walked into her arms and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier", she told me.

Suddenly there were tears in my eyes again, which soon started to drip down my cheeks. I tried to hide the fact that I was crying by holding my breath, but when it started to come out in hiccups it wasn't concealable anymore.

"Oh, sweetie", Mrs. Rote cooed and softly rubbed my back. I felt Pony take my hand and hold it tightly.

After a minute or so, I was exchanged into my boyfriend's arms, where I admittedly was more comfortable crying. He whispered calming words into my ear as he held me.

"It's okay, baby. You're gonna be okay. I won't let him near you. You're safe", he cooed. "You know that I wouldn't let him anywhere near you, right?"

"Yeah", I hiccupped.

"I love you", he whispered.

"I love you too", I said back

XxXxXxXxXx

A meeting between the principal, Roger, his parents, Mrs. Rote, my parents, and I was held the next day in the office after school. Ponyboy was there too. I was scared to be near Roger without him and his coach had let him out of practice that day when he heard that it was an emergency.

The principal, Mr. Edwards, sat in his large chair with his folded hands on his desk. "Now, Mrs. Rote, will you please explain the problem to me?"

"Sir, Roger Davis inappropriately touched and bruised Lily Smith two days ago after rehearsal for the play."

"That can't be!" Roger's father exclaimed. "He would never do something like that!"

"Tell that to the bruises on my daughter's chest!" Mom growled.

"Miss Smith, did Mr. Davis touch you inappropriately?" Mr. Edwards asked.

"Yes, sir", I nodded.

"Please explain."

"Well, I was waiting in the auditorium after rehearsal for my boyfriend to get out of football practice since he was going to walk me home. Roger had been saying inappropriate things and touching me inappropriately the entire rehearsal, no matter how many times I told him to stop. I was just standing there and he…hit my behind. I told him to leave me alone, but he said inappropriate things and grabbed me and started to touch me. I told him to stop again and again, but he just kept doing it and I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. Then he started kissing me. I kept trying to get away, but he wouldn't let me go. When Ponyboy came, Roger finally let me go."

"What did he say to you exactly before he grabbed you?"

My stomach dropped and I looked around at my parents and Ponyboy, desperately looking for a way out. But everyone was staring at me expectantly.

"Do you not remember what he said, Miss Smith?"

"I remember", I said and I did. I couldn't forget. "You said to say exactly what he said as in word-for-word?"

"If you can remember what he said word-for-word then yes."

"He hit my behind and said, and I quote, that he was 'just trying to show me how much he liked my ass', then he said that my 'tits are pretty nice too' and asked if I 'would mind showing them to him'."

"You little pervert", my dad growled and glared at Roger.

"He would never say something like that! He's very respectful!" Mrs. Davis insisted. That was when I broke.

"Your son is a pervert!" I yelled. "He's been hitting on me since rehearsals started and yesterday he assaulted me! He groped me! He would've raped me! I have bruises!"

"He's been doing this since before yesterday?" Mr. Edwards asked.

"Yes, sir. He always hits on me, even though he knows I have a serious boyfriend", I answered, annoyed that he was ignoring the fact that this…scum pushed himself on me.

"Could you have been wearing something that would have led him on?"

"Excuse me?"

"Were you wearing something that made you look like you wanted that kind of attention?"

"No, I wasn't, Mr. Edwards. And frankly, I'm offended that you would even suggest that."

"What were you wearing?"

"I was wearing a knee-length skirt and a blouse with a sweater over it."

"Was the skirt tight?"

"No."

"And the blouse or sweater?"

"No", I told him, gritting my teeth a bit.

"May I see the bruises?"

"Sir, the bruises are on my private areas."

"Are there any that aren't completely on your private areas?"

I clenched my jaw in annoyance and stood up, unbuttoning my sweater and pulling the neckline of my shirt down to reveal where a large bruise started right above the seam of my bra. The bruise covered my entire breast and there was one on the other, along with on my butt. I turned to Mr. and Mrs. Davis with the beginning of the bruise on full display. "Do you believe me that your angel of a son assaulted me now?"

They looked at me with distaste.

"How do we know that's not from her boyfriend?" Mr. Davis asked.

"Excuse me, Mr. Davis, but I'll have you know that I love my boyfriend and he loves me. In the three years that we have been together, he has never once put his hands on me in a violent manner or touched me inappropriately", I hissed, narrowing my eyes at them.

Pony grabbed my hand and squeezed it as I sat down.

"Mr. Curtis, what did you see?" Mr. Edwards asked him.

"I got to the auditorium and saw Roger's tongue down her throat and he was groping her everywhere", he said icily, glaring with more hatred than I had ever seen at Roger and his parents.

"And how would you describe you and Miss Smith's relationship?"

"We love each other and trust each other completely. She's my best friend." We looked at each other as he spoke and I gripped his hand even harder.

"And you, Miss Smith?"

"I couldn't have said it any better myself."

"Roger, there's way too much evidence proving your guilt", Mr. Edwards told him. "You're suspended from school until further notice."

Roger and his parents' jaws dropped and I had to keep a smile off of my face. I was just so relieved.

The Davises walked out of the school in a huff and my family and I were let out of the office. I immediately tackled Pony in a hug and started crying tears of joy.

"You're done with him", he assured me. "He'll never touch you again. He'll never come near you again. I can promise you that for as long as I live. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too", I told him and hugged him tighter.

"Can we join in?" Mom asked.

We nodded and my parents joined in on the hug.

"You're safe, Gracie", Dad told me as he kissed the top of my head. "That bastard isn't gettin' anywhere near you. I won't let him."

XxXxXxXxXx

The gang was completely outraged when they found out about Roger assaulting me.

"Where does that little asshole live? We're gonna find him and kill him", Soda said.

"He's not coming near me again", I assured them. "They're making sure of that."

"Good", Two-Bit growled. "That little-" And with that, he proceeded to call Roger every name and insult he could think of.

"Yes, he is", I agreed.

"I feel like it's my fault", Ashlynn told me. Soda wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

"Ash, it's not your fault at all", I said. "You were home sick and I hadn't told anyone, so it's not like you knew."

"I know", she sighed. "But I still feel awful about it."

"It's okay", I smiled sadly at her and took her hand. "Even though you didn't do anything wrong, I forgive you."

We were all hanging out at the Curtis' house, except for Steve and Evie. She was a week away from her due date and Steve didn't want her straining herself, so she hadn't been out of her house for the past few days and hadn't been to work in a week. It had recently been announced by President Johnson that that day was Columbus Day, meaning the rest of us didn't have work either. Especially since it was only about 10 in the morning.

Evie's stomach was huge against her tiny frame and she had even stopped wearing heels at the 7-month mark since her feet were swollen and no longer visible to her.

We all sat around and talked until about 11:30, when there was a phone call. Rachel got up to answer it and after a moment, started to freak out. All of us looked towards her, confused.

She out her hand over the part of the phone that you talk into and shrieked, "Evie's water broke! She's in labor!"

The mood was instantly lightened and we all smiled and cheered.

"The baby's coming!" I exclaimed and started hitting my boyfriend's arm out of excitement.

"I know", he laughed.

"They just got to the hospital", Rachel told us, "so we better get a move on!"

We ran out of the house, separating into Darry's truck and Two-Bit's car. I was practically bouncing in my seat the entire way to the hospital.

"So I'm takin' it that you're excited?" Ruth laughed.

"What gave me away?" I smiled.

"Maybe you bein' jumpy as a Mexican jumping bean."

"Maybe", I agreed.

When we got to the hospital we all streamed in and Darry ran up to the front desk.

"Our friend's havin' a baby", he told the receptionist. "D'you know where Steve and Evie Randle are?"

She looked at some papers. "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Randle are in the maternity ward on floor three in room three hundred and forty- one."

"Thank you, ma'am", he quickly said before we all rushed to the elevators and got inside. Sodapop was relentlessly tapping his foot on the floor.

"Babe, it's okay", Ashlynn told him and took his hand. "You're not the one giving birth, Evie is."

"I know that", he laughed nervously. "I'm just nervous, that's all. Nervous, but excited."

"I thank that makes all of us, little buddy", Darry said, clapping his hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

The elevator got to the third floor and the hallway was quickly flooded with the Curtis gang. The numbers on the doors blurred past me as we ran past them, growing closer and closer to Room 341.

When we were finally there, Soda knocked rapidly at the door.

"Who is it?" Steve asked from inside.

"The gang", Pony answered.

There was silence for a moment, presumably Steve asking Evie if she was alright with us coming in. "C'mon in!"

I opened the door and quietly walked into the room. Evie was lying on the hospital bed in a hospital gown. Her hair had begun to stick to her face with sweat.

"Hey, Evie", I said as I went over to her and lightly took her hand. "How're you feelin'?"

"I've been better", she laughed.

"How long've you been in labor?" Ashlynn asked her.

"I dunno. 'bout twenty minutes give or take." Then she started breathing harder as she pushed through a contraction.

"How dilated are you?" Ruth questioned after it had passed.

"The doctor said two centimeters."

"At least the baby seems to be comin' quick", Rachel said.

"Yeah", Evie sighed, "he just loves to keep movin'. I'm surprised he didn't try to pop out months ago."

"It's a she!" Steve called over.

"Don't argue with the woman that's havin' your baby, Steven", I warned him. "That's just a bad idea."

XxXxXxXxXx

We all left the room soon after that and went into the waiting room, where we stayed for hours. Ashlynn and I called the dance studio to let them know that we weren't coming in.

I read through all the magazines on the tables next to the chairs. Pony read a few, but mostly just got lost in his own little world. I decided not to disrupt him, just holding one of his hands and running my thumb along his knuckles.

Soda paced around the waiting room, his need to move coming out more than than ever. Ashlynn switched between talking to Soda (when he sat down for a few minutes), Rachel, and I while Darry talked mostly to Two-Bit and Ruth. Rachel mostly talked to Ashlynn, Two-Bit, and I. We were sitting there until around dinnertime, when Steve burst down the hall and into the waiting room, tackling Soda in a hug. There were tears streaming down his face.

"I GOTTA SON!" Steve yelled. "I GOTTA SON!"

All of us hugged him and congratulated him.

"You wanna go see him?" he asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed and jumped up and down. Steve led us to the room and carefully opened the door.

"Hey, babe", he said to Evie, "they're here."

"C'mon in", I heard her say quietly. She must have been completely exhausted.

We streamed into the room as quietly as possible. Evie was laying on the hospital bed with a little bundle of blue blankets in her arms. Her hair was everywhere, she was sweaty, and her face was flushed, but she still looked as pretty as ever.

"Hey", I whispered with a smile. "Is that him?"

"Yeah", she smiled.

Steve went over to her and picked up the baby before walking over to Soda. "The godfather gets to hold him first."

"I'm the godfather?" Soda asked.

"You sure are, Soda", the new father laughed and carefully handed off the baby to his best friend. I had never seen Soda that still, and it was especially strange considering how antsy he had been in the waiting room.

"Hey, buddy", Soda whispered. "I'm your godfather. How're you doin'?"

The baby didn't move much since he was asleep, but he wiggled around a little in Soda's arms.

"What's his name?" Darry asked.

Evie and Steve looked at each other before turning to us with huge smiles.

"Andrew Scott Randle", Evie told us.

Soda handed off the baby to Ashlynn, who knew exactly how to hold him. I assumed it was a maternal instinct since the boys seemed to be clueless about how to do it properly.

Andrew was passed to everyone else before he was passed to Pony and I and I felt like I was about to burst with excitement by the time he made his way over to us. Somehow, he had stayed asleep the entire time.

When Andrew was handed off to my boyfriend, he looked terrified.

"He's so small", Pony muttered. "You sure I won't break him?"

I laughed and fixed his arms. "You're okay, honey, as long as you don't hold him like a football."

He held Andrew for a few minutes before handing him off to me. I felt the familiar weight in my arms and couldn't help but remember when the twins were born. Without me even noticing, I had started to cry.

"You okay, darlin'?" Pony asked.

"I'm just fine, love", I told him.

Suddenly Andrew squirmed in my arms and yawned. He was waking up. His eyes fluttered open, showing Evie's dark blue eyes.

"Hi, sweetie", I laughed, tears continuing to flow down my face. "I'm your Aunt Lily. Welcome to the world."

He looked up at me curiously, making me laugh again.

"You're the cutest little thing, Andrew", I cooed.

"He sure is", Ponyboy said quietly from behind me.

Andrew yawned again and I guessed that he was tired. I started swaying and bouncing a bit.

His eyelids drooped until they were closed again and he was back asleep.

"How'd you do that?" Two-Bit asked incredulously.

"It's what my mom did to get the twins to sleep when they were younger", I answered quietly, still bouncing and rocking.

"You want him back, Evie?" I asked.

She nodded tiredly and I walked Andrew over, lightly kissing his forehead before handing him to his mother. She was already a mom, that was obvious. She looked down at him with that look of infinite and unfathomable love that all mothers had. Steve was just looking at the both of them in love and awe.

"He's gonna be a heartbreaker, that's for sure", Soda laughed.

"He sure is", Darry agreed. "Reminds me of you two when y'all were born."

"Do you even remember when I was born?" Soda asked.

"You bet I do."

"So where'd you get the name from?" Rachel asked.

"Well, Lily helped me pick out Scott at work one day", Evie answered. "We were talking about boys' names since I was sure that's what we were having and she suggested 'Scott' and it was the only one I liked. It grew on me since then."

"And Andrew?" Ruth questioned.

"Andrew was Johnny's middle name", Steve said. "We thought it'd be a nice way to remember him."

We all started to tear up, Pony and I especially.

Many pictures were taken that night before everyone but the Randles went home. It looked like there would be a new photo album on the way.

XxXxXxXxXx

The boy that would now be playing Peter was a guy in our grade named Michael Wilson. I met him the first day of rehearsal after the "Roger Incident". He was also a Soc, but he was very nice and kind of shy. It took a lot of encouragement for him to just kiss me on the cheek like it said in the script, which I was fine with. It was a huge relief for me that he wasn't so out-there. I needed calm and that was what I got.

Andrew got baptized a week after he was born and a week after that it was the day of the play. It was a Saturday night, so I had to skip work at the bookstore for it.

Roger had come back to school after a two-week suspension and had been ordered not to go anywhere near me or he would be suspended again or expelled. After the Incident, Pony or Ashlynn, if not both, were always with me and she made sure to come to school every day.

On the day of the play, my family and I drove to my school at 5 and I went backstage while they found their seats. I found my costume and changed in the bathroom.

It was a simple World War II era costume: a maroon cable-knit sweater with a collared blouse underneath, a dark grey skirt, dark grey knee-high socks, and black buckled shoes. My hair was pinned so it looked like it only went down to my shoulders and there was a clip holding my long bangs back. The only jewelry I had on was a thin watch. Soon I would be putting on several more skirts and blouses and a coat, but I wanted to stay comfortable for a little bit longer. Later in the show, I would have to change into a different skirt and blouse, put on a shawl, and a pair of heels.

I peeked out from behind the curtain for a moment, only to see a full house. The nerves started to kick in and I grabbed my script. Since I wasn't going to be seen during the opening monologue, I would be reading directly from the script into a microphone. It wasn't the best microphone, but we took what we could get.

The boy that was playing Mr. Frank, David Burke, would be looking down at a book which was supposed to be the diary, so he would be reading directly from the script as well since we had written the lines in the book. He would have to speak very loudly, though, since he didn't have a microphone.

I started repeating my lines the lines that I said after the monologue to myself. "It's the Westertoren!…A cat?…I slept, Father. Wasn't that funny? I knew it was the last night in my own bed, and yet I slept soundly…I feel fine. I'm going to help Father…"

"How're you doin', Anne?" Mrs. Rote asked me. Since I was Anne on stage and had to react to her name as if it were my own, sometimes she and the other members of the cast called me by that name.

"Nervous", I admitted. "Scared that I'll forget my lines."

"Lily, you've been saying all of your lines perfectly since you first read the script. There's nothing that's gonna happen. You know everything by heart."

"That's only because I had people helping me", I told her. Evie read the script with me at work when there wasn't anybody there and Ashlynn and Pony read it with me when we had time.

"There're people here that'll help you too. They're called your cast-mates. You'll be fine." She put a hand on my shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Rote."

She smiled warmly at me before going off to talk to another member of the cast.

Without noticing, I had started to pick at my nails. I quickly stopped myself since I had been trying to grow out my nails recently and wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt.

Soon, the play started. I could hear the people playing Mr. Frank and Miep saying their lines as the microphone was placed in front of me. Mrs. Rote gave me a thumbs-up as I started reading my monologue along with David and then by myself. At the end, I softened my voice to give it the illusion of fading out. I had recently put my several layers of clothing on and was already sweating and couldn't wait for them to come off.

The people playing the Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan started talking one the stage and I slung the schoolbag full of things onto my shoulder. David started talking as the people playing Margot, Mrs. Frank, Miep, and Mrs. Kraler entered the stage and I prepared.

"Anne?" I heard called out. I took a deep breath and ran onto the stage, a bounce in my step. I was introduced and curtsied before running around the set, checking out different things. Everyone playing an adult talked until I said my first line.

"It's the Westertoren!" I exclaimed.

The minuscule singing scene during the Hanukkah scene passed as the play continued and we eventually got to the most awkward scene in the play: Anne and Peter's kiss scene. That would have been the second-most-embarrassing scene, but the part where Anne talks about "changes" happening to her had to be cut out due to it being "inappropriate".

"Aren't they awful?" I ranted. "Aren't they impossible? Treating us as if we were still in the nursery."

"Don't let it bother you", Michael said. "I doesn't bother me."

"I suppose you can't really blame them…they think back to what _they_ were like at our age. They don't realize how much more advanced we are…When you think what wonderful discussions we've had!…Oh, I forgot. I was going to bring you some more pictures."

"Oh, these are fine, thanks."

"Don't you want some more? Miep just brought me some new ones."

"Maybe later."

"I remember when I got that…I won it. I bet Jopie that I could eat five ice-cream cones. We'd all been playing ping-pong…We used to have heavenly times…we'd finish up with ice cream at the Delphi, or the Oasis, where Jews were allowed…there'd always be a lot of boys…we'd laugh and joke…I'd like to go back to it for a few days or a week. But after that I know I'd be bored to death. I think more seriously about life now. I want to be a journalist…or something. I love to write. What do you want to do?"

"I thought I might go off some place…work on a farm or something…some job that doesn't take much brains."

"You shouldn't talk that way. You've got the most awful inferiority complex."

"I know I'm not smart."

"That isn't true", I said. "You're much better than I am in dozens of things…arithmetic and algebra and…well, you're a million times better than I am in algebra. You like Margot, don't you? Right from the start you liked her, liked her much better than me."

"Oh, I don't know."

"It's alright. Everyone feels that way. Margot's so good. She's sweet and bright and beautiful and I'm not."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Oh, no, I'm not. I know that. I know quite well that I'm not a beauty. I never have been and I never shall be."

"I don't agree at all. I think you're pretty."

"That's not true!"

"And another thing. You've changed…from at first, I mean."

"I have?" I asked.

"I used to think you were awful noisy."

"And what do you think now, Peter? How have I changed?"

"Well…um…you're…quieter."

"I'm glad you just don't hate me."

"I never said that."

"I bet when you get out of here you'll never think of me again."

"That's crazy."

"When you get back with all of your friends, you're going to say…'now what did I ever see in that Mrs. Quack Quack'."

"I haven't got any friends."

"Oh, Peter, of course you have. Everyone has friends."

"Not me. I don't want any. I get along alright without them."

"Does that mean that you can get along alright without me? I think of myself as your friend."

"No. If they were all like you, it'd be different."

 _Now for the fun part_ , I thought. I always had to keep myself from laughing at the sheer awkwardness of these next few lines.

"Peter, did you ever kiss a girl?" I asked.

"Yes. Once", Michael said.

"That picture's crooked."

Michael turned to look at the imaginary picture when I blurted out, "Was she pretty?" The audience laughed, making it even harder for me not to. Michael's lips were starting to pull up in a smile.

"Huh?"

"The girl you kissed."

"I don't know. I was blindfolded. It was at a party. One of those kissing games."

"Oh, I don't suppose that really counts, does it?"

"It didn't with me."

"I've been kissed twice. Once a man I'd never seen before kissed me on the cheek when he picked me up off the ice and I was crying. And the other was Mr. Koophuis, a friend of Father's who kissed my hand. You wouldn't say those counted, would you?"

"I wouldn't say so."

"I know almost for certain that Margot would never kiss anyone unless she was engaged to them, And I'm sure too that Mother never touched a man before Pim. But I don't know…things are so different now…What do you think? Do you think a girl shouldn't kiss anyone except if she's engaged or something? It's so hard to try to think what to do, when here we are with the whole world falling around our ears and you think…well…you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow and…What do you think?"

"I suppose it'd depend on the girl. Some girls, anything they do's wrong. But others…well...it wouldn't necessarily be wrong with them. I've always thought that two people-" Michael was cut off by the sound effect of church bells sounding, meaning my cue.

"Nine o'clock. I have to go", I said.

"That's right."

"Good night."

Michael got up. "You won't let them stop you from coming?"

"No", I told him, getting up too. "Sometimes I might bring my diary. There are so many things in it that I want to talk over with you. There's a lot about you."

"What kinds of things?"

"I wouldn't want you to see some of it. I thought you were a nothing, just the way you thought about me."

"Did you change your mind, the way I changed mine?"

"Well…", I smiled a bit, "you'll see."

I continued looking up at Michael for a moment and nodded a little, encouraging him that it would be okay to kiss my cheek. I turned away and he grabbed my arm, pulling me back into his arms and kissing my cheek. I had to walk out dazed, with a giddy smile on my face. I just thought about the times when Pony and I's kisses had left me breathless and dazed and it did the trick.

XxXxXxXxXx

"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart", I solemnly spoke my last line into the microphone backstage, feeling my heart tighten and my stomach drop just as knew the audience did as I said my favorite quote. There was a reason it was my favorite; I knew it was true.

"She puts me to shame", David said, somehow being quiet enough that we all felt like we were right next to him with his voice in our ear, but still speaking loudly enough that the entire auditorium could hear him.

Everything was silent as the light faded out on him and the curtain fell.

The audience immediately erupted in applause and a small smile made its way onto my face, despite the knot in my stomach.

The curtain opened and we all took our curtain call together before we took out individual bows. Mrs. Rote was downstage with the microphone I had been using to introduce us.

"Michael Wilson as Peter Van Daan!" she announced. I hugged him and nudged him so he would walk up to her. She hugged him as well and he bowed to the audience.

"And last, but certainly not least, Lily Smith as Anne Frank!"

I smiled as Michael put an arm around my shoulder and gave me an affectionate squeeze before walking downstage myself. The entire audience was on its feet and with all the bright lights in my face, I couldn't see my family no matter how hard I tried. Nevertheless, I smiled at all of them and waved. Mrs. Rote pulled me into a tight hug.

"You did amazing", she whispered in my ear. "Anne Frank would be proud."

"Thank you", I said back. "For everything."

She let me go and I turned back to the crowd, bowing and backing up to upstage with the rest of the cast.

We all left the stage moments later and I changed into my regular clothes in the bathroom and went into the auditorium. There, I was greeted by several people who all congratulated me and sung my praises. I thanked each and every one of them genuinely, but after a while of this, I just wanted to see my family, Pony, and Ashlynn.

After almost 10 minutes of being talked to, I finally found them at the end of the audience-comprised crowd. My parents were talking to a couple other adults and Pony and Ashlynn were talking to Anna and Henry.

I stood up on tip-toe behind my boyfriend and whispered, "Hey, honey."

"Hey, darlin'", he laughed as he turned around to face me.

"You're incredible", he told me, picking me up and hugging me. "You were amazing up there."

"Thank you", I smiled into his neck.

The second he put me down, my parents were squeezing the living daylights out of me and complementing me to no end. I was flattered, but since I had never been the best at receiving complements, I just blushed and awkwardly thanked them.

Ashlynn hugged and congratulated me too, a knowing smirk on her face just like when I found out I had gotten the role.

Anna and Henry congratulated me in that way that most little siblings do, which is, not really at all.

Pony gave me a small bouquet of flowers and told me it was from all of them, but my dad was shaking his head and mouthing "No it's not" behind him. I held back a laugh and thanked them all anyway.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Smith", Mrs. Rote said as she came up to us. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"It's nice to see you again too", Mom smiled and shook her hand.

"Thank you so much for helping us during all that", Dad told her, shaking her hand as well.

"I look out for all my students. Lily needed help, so I helped her", she said, resting her hand on my shoulder.

Ponyboy wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my temple. I smiled up at him before laying my head on his shoulder.

"You've got an incredible girl here. Y'all should be proud", Mrs. Rote told them.

"We are", they both said, looking at me as they did. I blushed and hid my face in Pony's chest. He laughed and slightly squeezed my waist.

"Have a good night", she said, smiling at us before walking away.

"Lil, I think you're turnin' into a tomato", Ashlynn laughed once I had pulled my head out of Pony's chest.

I narrowed my eyes at her and stuck out my tongue, causing everyone to laugh.

 **Hey, guys! This is going to be my last update before I go back to school, so it might take a while for me to update. Just a warning. Baby Randle has arrived! I'm excited to start including a baby in the story and see how the gang does with him. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavelclaw13**


	12. Chapter 12

Ponyboy's last football game that counted was the Friday after the play. Ashlynn was already outside waiting for Steve's car to pick us up while I shoved all my stuff into my dance bag. I was headed out of the room where we changed when Madame Evelyn stopped me.

"Miss Smith", she called. "I'm sorry. I know you're busy, but can I have a word with you please?"

"Of course", I told her.

"Since you're a senior this year, I was wondering if you'd like a solo in this year's show."

"Y-yeah", I stuttered. "Yeah, I'd love one if I can have one."

"Tomorrow after we teach, we can talk a little more about it. Discuss what music you want it to and whatnot."

"Thank you, Madame", I said and gave her a quick hug. "Have a good night."

"Thank you, dear. And you have a good night too."

I rushed out of the building to see Steve's car in the curb. The moment I climbed into the backseat and shut the door, he started to drive.

"What kept you?" Ashlynn asked. She, Pony and I were stuffed in the back like sardines in a can, though she was probably a little more comfortable than Pony and I since she was smaller than us. She was supposed to have been 5'4, but, like me, hadn't quite reached her intended height and had stopped at 5'2.

"Madame Evelyn just wanted to talk to me."

"About what?"

"If I wanted a solo during the show in June."

"Really?" she exclaimed. "You said yes, right?"

"Yeah, I said yes. We're gonna talk more about it tomorrow after class."

"We're here", Steve announced. The three of us shot out of the car and into the Curtis' house to get changed. Soda and Steve came in too, albeit not with as much urgency.

Ashlynn and I changed in the bathroom, tearing off our dance clothes and putting on our regular clothes, which for her consisted of a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt. My outfit was similar to hers, but instead of a T-shirt and sweatshirt, I had on Pony's jersey and the letterman jacket that he and the rest of the team had recently gotten. Both were pretty big on me, but I liked wearing them. Especially since they were warm.

It had been a kind of universal thing since the fiasco where Pony walked in on me changing that I changed in the bathroom and he changed in his room when we went to his house before a game. If Ashlynn came (which she usually did), we would both change in the bathroom together.

The two of us burst out of the bathroom to find Darry waiting right outside. He quickly went in and closed the door. Another thing that happened when we went to the Curtis to get ready was Darry taking an insanely fast shower while Pony was finishing getting ready. I honestly didn't know how he did it, but then again, boys' showers were usually quicker than girls'.

We all scrambled around the house until it was time to go, piling into our different vehicles and driving off. Two-Bit would be meeting us at the school, as well as Ruth. My family would be coming too and would be meeting us at the game. Rachel had some huge project that she had to work on for school, so she wasn't able to come. Evie was home with Andrew, so she couldn't come either.

At the school, Pony ran to join the team as the everyone found each other and then our seats, where we were finally able to rest for a bit.

I slumped into my chair and sighed loudly. "God, that was exhausting. Remind me again how we do this every week."

"Still can't answer that question for you, Lily-Flower", Soda said.

"That my new nickname?" I asked, a smirk on my face.

"You better believe it", he laughed as he wrapped an arm around Ashlynn's shoulders.

"So how was he doin' in the car?" I asked him. "Nervous?"

"He certainly looked like it", Soda laughed.

"It's the last game of the season, so obviously he's gonna be nervous", Ashlynn pointed out.

"Touché, my dear", he said. "Touché.

The pad of my index finger subconsciously started rubbing the nail of my thumb, feeling the nail polish that was painted in it. I had grown out my nails to a reasonable length and had had Ashlynn paint them one day when I stayed over her house since I couldn't do them for my life. They were now a kind of pink that was apparently referred to was "frosted", which was some kind of fad that lots of girls wore. Since I wasn't an expert at fashion and trends, I just went with it. It was a pretty color, anyway.

Our team and the opposing one came out onto the field and we all stood for the National Anthem. They all lined up and the game began.

By half-time the ball had been snapped back and punted hundreds of times, yet we barely had any points while the other team…well they had way more than us. The tension on our side could be felt and if you looked close enough, you could see the players and coaches looking anxious too.

Pony and the other players went into a huddle and stayed there for a while before breaking up. Everyone watched nervously as they lined up again and I crossed my fingers, as though that would somehow alter our chances.

The second half of the game started, showing that whatever they had decided to do in that huddle had worked. They were making an amazing comeback, getting touchdown after touchdown and goal after goal. Our side was going absolutely berserk, screaming and yelling and cheering every time someone on our team did anything even remotely praise-worthy.

We were only a touchdown away from winning by the time there was one minute left in the game. Soda was bouncing his leg while Darry was leaning forward as much as was physically possible without falling over into the row of seats below us. Steve had started playing with the zipper on his sweatshirt and was squirming a little in his seat. Ashlynn was drumming her fingers on her thigh and leaning further into her boyfriend. Ruth was practically jumping up and down in her seat. I was switching between ringing my hands, twisting my ring around my finger and rubbing the buttons of Pony's letterman jacket between my forefinger and thumb.

The team grouped into one last huddle before going back out onto the field. The ball was snapped back and the timer started ticking down, second by second. I started screaming along with everyone else at our team, yelling at them to get the touchdown. There were only fifteen seconds on the clock when the football was passed to my boyfriend. The gang and I were all screaming at the top of our lungs and in hysterics.

Pony ran down the field with the ball tucked under his arm.

"C'mon, honey, you can do it!" I yelled.

"Get there, Little Colt! Get there!" Soda shrieked.

He sprinted down that field like he was at a track meet while our entire side was cheering him on.

I mentally counted down along with the clock. _Five. Four. Three. Two…_

Just as the timer hit zero, he crossed the goal line, prompting us all to erupt in screams. The entire team crowded around him and picked him up on their shoulders. The gang and I ran down onto the field, the rest of our side quickly following.

He took off his helmet and mouth piece, smiling, whooping, and pumping his fist in the air. Since Pony was high up, he saw us before we got there. When he saw me running towards him, he patted the shoulder of one of the guys holding him up. He pointed to me with a smile on his face and said something to the guys, who let him down.

"I did it, darlin'! I did it!" he screamed, running towards me and lifting me above his head. I squealed as I looked down at him, causing him to laugh and drop me down slightly so he was lifting me up with his arms around my waist. He looked into my eyes with a smile for a moment before kissing me. I instantly kissed back and wrapped my arms around his neck. After a bit, we pulled away and touched our foreheads together.

"You did it", I laughed.

"I did it", he agreed, giving me a final peck on the lips as the gang everyone came over. Darry was absolutely losing it. I had never seen him look more proud than he did then. He hugged Pony with an iron grip and I noticed something that I hadn't before: Ponyboy and Darry were exactly the same height. I guessed that my boyfriend had grown two inches in the past year since he was Darry's height of 6'2. Some quick calculations in my head concluded that there was a ten-inch height difference between the two of us. _Soda's gonna freak_ , I thought.

We all congratulated and fawned over him until a man came over. He was short with dark skin, hair, and eyes and looked to be in his late thirties to early forties. Darry seemed to recognize him, as he went over to him with a smile and did that "man-hug" thing.

"Sorry to interrupt y'all over here", he chuckled.

"It's alright, sir", Pony said.

"I just wanted to say that you did amazing out there, Curtis. Just like your brother."

"Thank you, sir."

"And I'm guessin' this is your girlfriend?" He had a warm smile on his face.

"Yes, sir", I answered.

"I'm Coach Rodriguez", he said and held out his hand to me.

"I'm Lily Smith", I told him as I shook it.

"Nice to meet you. I'm surprised I didn't 'til now. From all the talkin' I've heard Ponyboy here do about you since he started on this team, it doesn't seem like y'all just started dating the other week."

"No, sir", I agreed, looking up at Pony's now-blushing face. "We've been together for three years."

"I'd love to stay, but it looks like you got lots of adoring fans, Curtis", Mr. Rodriguez laughed. "I'll see you later."

Then Dad came over to Pony and gave him one of those "man-hug" things as well. "You did really great, son." Then he complemented him on football things that I was always kind of clueless about, no matter how many times I played or watched football.

"Thank you, sir", Pony told him with a smile.

Practically everyone from our side congratulated my boyfriend at some point in the next few minutes. They just kept coming up to him, one after the other, and sometimes multiple people at once. Ponyboy's arm remained wrapped securely around either my shoulders or my waist the entire time, making the claustrophobic feeling a little more bearable since I knew he was next to me at all times.

After what felt like hours, we all finally left. My parents gave me a bag of overnight stuff that I had asked them to bring since I was staying over at the Curtis', took the twins, and drove home. Steve congratulated Pony one last time before hopping in his car and going home too.

Two-Bit offered to drive Ashlynn to her house on his way to his, so they both left soon after Steve.

The rest of us crowded into Darry's truck with him driving, Ruth riding shotgun, and the rest of us in the back.

"Damn, is it ever crowded back here", Soda laughed.

"It certainly is", I agreed.

While we drove, I rested my head on Pony's shoulder and yawned.

"You tired, darlin'?"

"Mm-hm", I hummed with a nod.

He wrapped an arm around my waist. "You had dinner yet?"

"Nope."

"Why don't you eat something when we got back. Then you can do whatever you need to do."

"Okay", I sighed. I was very hungry, but I also really just wanted to take a shower and sleep.

We got to the Curtis' house and Darry started immediately making dinner.

"I'm gonna go take a shower while he's makin' dinner", I told Pony tiredly.

He nodded and kissed my head before I grabbed a towel and my toiletry bag and headed into the bathroom. My shoulder felt sore and I tried rolling it out in the shower, but it didn't do much. I just hoped the hot water would loosen it up.

I got out of the shower after a little bit and ran into Pony and Soda's room, where I got dressed in my pajamas. I was brushing and parting my hair in front of the mirror when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I called.

"Dinner's ready", Ponyboy said, waiting for me to finish brushing out my hair before coming up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and resting his chin on the top of my head. He could now do that very easily, seeing as he was a full head taller than me. He had changed out of his uniform and was in a regular T-shirt and jeans.

"Let's go, then" I smiled. I put my brush away and stretched my torso and arms, putting the latter above my head, and instantly regretting it when my shoulder smarted.

"What's wrong?" Pony asked.

"My shoulder's just sore. I'll fix it after we eat", I assured him.

"No, I wanna try to do it", he told me.

"What d'you wanna do, exactly?"

"Massage the knot out. You always do it for me and I want to return the favor", he explained, pulling me over to the bed as he talked.

The part about me getting knots from his muscles all the time was true. He kept pushing himself just a little too far during practices and games. Not far enough to seriously injure himself, but enough to make him sore a lot.

"You don't have to, you know", I laughed lightly.

"No, I want to", he insisted. He got on his knees behind me and started lightly rubbing my shoulders.

"Honey, you need to do it a little harder than that", I told him.

"It won't hurt you?"

"I'll be fine", I smiled.

The rubbing became a little harder and though it wasn't very pleasant, I knew it would get the knot out. After a few minutes of this, the muscle had loosened up significantly.

"I think it's okay now", I said.

"You sure?" Pony asked.

"Positive", I answered and pecked his lips. "Thank you, love."

"You're welcome."

We walked into the kitchen, where everyone else was sitting at the table with food on their plates. Pony and I sat down and filled our plated with food as well.

"What kept y'all so long?" Darry asked.

"I had a kink in my shoulder", I told him. "Pony got it out."

Pony nodded and shoveled some potatoes into his mouth.

Then, just as he and my dad had done, Pony, his brothers, and Ruth jumped into a full discussion on the game. I didn't really listen, immersing myself in my thoughts as they spoke and only catching a word here and there.

"You okay?" Pony asked suddenly.

I nodded and smiled lightly at him. "Just tired."

"It's only eight-thirty!" Sodapop exclaimed. "How can you be tired?"

"Work, school and the game all tired me out. And unlike _some people_ , I don't have an ever-constant supply of energy", I said while looking at him.

"I'm just special", he chirped with a bright grin.

"You certainly are, Pepsi-Cola", Darry chuckled.

"Y'all are sleepin' in our bed, right?" Soda asked Pony and I.

"Yeah", Pony nodded.

"I can sleep on the couch", I offered.

"No, I can sleep on the couch", Sodapop insisted. "You can sleep in the bed with Pony."

"You sure?"

"We go through this every time you sleep over", he laughed, "and the answer is always yes. It's fine, doll."

"Thanks, Soda."

"No problem."

When dinner ended, I offered to do the dishes.

"Lily, you look like you're about to fall asleep where you're standin'", Ruth told me. "Go to bed. We can do the dishes."

"Okay", I said as I nodded my head slightly. I said goodnight to everyone and gave Ponyboy a kiss on the cheek before going into his and Soda's room and falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

XxXxXxXxXx

A while later, I was woken up by muffled noises. My eyes slowly opened and I felt arms wrapped around my waist and a head resting on my shoulder.

 _It must be Pony snoring_ , I thought to myself, drifting back to sleep.

But then I felt his body shaking against my back. He definitely wasn't snoring.

I became more aware of my surroundings and turned around in his arms.

"Honey, are you okay?" I asked softly. His face was buried in the pillow.

"Yeah", he said, his voice cracking. I sat up and rested a hand on his cheek.

"Love, look at me."

He shook his head and stayed there.

"Please", I pleaded. "Honey, just look at me."

That seemed to convince him, as he lifted his head up at me from the pillow. His eyes were red and teary and there were streaks of tears on his cheeks.

"Honey, what's wrong?" I asked and brushed my thumb along his cheekbone. My eyes flicked over to the clock on the bedside table and I saw that it was just past midnight.

"It's just…when your dad called me 'son' earlier…" he trailed off.

"Do you not like it? I know he's called you that before, but if you really don't like it that much, I can tell him to stop."

He sat up and leaned his back against the headboard. He lay his head back against the headboard as well and closed his eyes, letting the tears run down his cheeks.

"No", he told me quietly, "it's not that."

"Then what is it?" I got out from under the blankets and scooted over to him, tucking my legs under myself and placing an hand on his arm.

"It's...it's just that when your dad called me 'son' it reminded me that I don't have my dad anymore."

"Oh, honey", I cooed, cupping his cheek with my hand.

"I wish he was here. Mom too. Darry and Soda got their time with him. I didn't. I wanted him to be there. I wanted him to be cheering me on from the stands like he used to do for Darry. I wanted him to teach me how to shave. I wanted to talk to him when we first started dating and when I realized that I love you. But he and mom aren't here. They won't be there for our graduation or our wedding day or our first kid….", Ponyboy sobbed. I hugged him close as he bawled into my shoulder, and ran my fingers through his hair. It was damp so I was guessing that he had gotten into bed with me recently and taken a shower shortly before that.

"Shh, it's okay, baby. Let it out. Just let it out", I whispered in his ear. "I'm right here. I'm right here with you and I'm not leaving."

"I-I m-miss them-m so m-much", he hiccupped between his sobs, his voice hitching with every word.

"I know, baby. You'll be alright. I love you and the gang loves you and Dally and Johnny and your parents all love you, even if they're not here with us. They'll always love you just like you'll always love them. You know that, right?"

He nodded weakly into my neck.

I waited a bit so he could calm down a little more before I said, "How about this; you can tell me your favorite memories of them. Anything at all."

Pony slowly pulled his head out from my neck and looked up at me. His green eyes that I had fallen in love with were filled with tears and bloodshot. I carefully wiped his eyes with the pads of my thumbs and kissed his forehead.

"You don't have to", I told him. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

He shook his head before speaking in a husky, gravelly voice. "No. I want to. I'm sure."

We both lay down the bed, his arms never leaving my waist and mine going around his middle.

"Sometimes during the summer, Mom and Dad would take us out to the countryside. We'd leave early in the morning so we would have a lot of time there and me, Darry, and Soda would always fall asleep on the drive.

"When we got there, we would rush out of the truck and run around while Mom and Dad unpacked everything. We played around 'til we got tired and had to sit down. Mom and Dad would have a blanket set up on the grass that we'd all sit on.

"After a while, Dad would take us back out into the grass to play football while Mom stayed on the blanket. She usually read a book or took some pictures or somethin'. She never really liked getting dirty and sweaty", he laughed a little, making me do the same.

"Sometimes we'd play soccer or baseball, but most of the time we played football or tag or hide-and-seek. I was always too fast for Darry and Soda, but sometimes Dad would get me. Honestly, I think he let me win most of the time.

"We played like that for hours until we sat down and ate sandwiches on the blanket and just talked and had fun.

"Darry, Soda, and Dad were always off playing when the sun went down. Mom and I watched it. She and always liked things like that more; the sunset, stars, clouds, stuff like that. The two of us just sat there and watched it until there was no sun left to see and we all packed up again."

"That sounds wonderful", I told Pony. "I'd love to go to the country one day. The farthest I've ever been from home was when I went to the Gulf with my parents when I was 3 or 4. It's one of my earliest memories."

"You've never been up to Boston to visit your family?"

"No", I sighed. "We've never had the money or the time for it. My parents really miss it up there, though. Especially my mom. Italian families are really close and she's got seven brothers and sisters along with about a million cousins, so she misses them a lot. Her and my dad both miss Cape Cod a lot too. She always tells me about how beautiful and cold the water is and how you can see the coast stretch out on both sides of you. She even has a little vial of sand that her family sent her."

"I'd like to go there", Pony yawned. "That sounds real nice."

"You tired, honey?"

"Mm-hm", he hummed sleepily.

"Go to sleep. I'll be right here with you the entire night."

He tenderly kissed my forehead and I nuzzled into his chest.

"I love you, honey", I told him and tilted my head up to gently kiss his jaw.

"I love you too, darlin'", he whispered as he drifted off. "And I always will."

XxXxXxXxXx

On the first day of Thanksgiving Break, I didn't have work, so I went over to Evie and Steve's house. I hadn't seen Andrew or Evie in a week, so I decided to visit. It was the last day before Soda, Steve, and Pony went on break, so they weren't at their houses.

"Hey, Lily", Evie greeted as I walked into the house. She was sitting on the couch with her hair tied up in a messy bun and dressed in a pair of pajamas.

"Hi", I smiled, giving her a quick hug and sitting next to her. "Andrew sleeping?"

"Finally", she sighed. "It took a few hours and he was up all night. I love 'im to death, but glory, is he loud."

"Yeah", I agreed with a slight laugh. "Babies can be that way. He's a beautiful boy, though."

"He definitely is", she smiled. "And when he's not waking up the entire damn neighborhood, he's the sweetest thing, smiling and all that."

"Really? We'll have to get him to do it for me later."

We sat and talked for close to an hour, then Andrew woke up and started screaming bloody murder.

"I'll be right back", Evie sighed, pushing herself up and walking into the next room. Five minutes went by with Andrew never letting up. Evie came out of the room, holding her son in her arms and trying to get him to calm down.

"His diaper's clean and I just fed him and burped before he went to bed!" she exclaimed. "I don't know what to do."

"Can I try?" I asked and held out my hands.

"Go ahead", she said as she handed him to me. "I don't think it'll do anything, though."

Andrew was still crying his little eyes out. His toothless gums showed as he shrieked and beat his tiny fists in the air.

"Hey, sweetie, it's okay", I cooed. I stood up and walked him around the room, rocking and bouncing him in my arms as I did. He continued to cry so I decided to try something else.

"Moon river, wider than a mile,

I'm crossing you in style someday.

Oh, dream-maker, you heart-breaker,

wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.

There's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end-

waitin' 'round the bend,

my huckleberry friend.

Moon river and me."

Andrew's crying and screaming stopped and he just looked up at me with curiosity in his eyes.

"There", I smiled, tickling under his chin. "That better, sweetie? You happy now?"

He cooed a little and smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes", I laughed and sat back down on the couch with him nestled in my arms. Within a few minutes, he was asleep.

"I think I'll have to bring you over more often", Evie laughed as she lightly fingered his dark wisps of hair.

"I wouldn't object to that."

"You never told me you could sing", she said.

I shrugged and blushed. "I don't really do it in front of people."

"Well, you're real good."

"Thanks", I told her, my blush darkening. I gently kissed Andrew's forehead before speaking. "You want him back?"

"Sure", Evie said and carefully took him, tucking him into her arms. "You satisfied now that he smiled at you?"

"You wouldn't believe", I laughed.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next day, I went over to the Curtis' house, walking in to the sounds of wrenching and coughing.

Confused and concerned, I rushed into the living room to find my boyfriend half sitting-on and half-leaning-off-of the couch with his head in a trash can.

"Oh, honey", I cooed as I went over to him and sat at his feet. Well, I assumed that's where his feet were, but it was hard to tell because of the thick blanket covering him. "Why didn't you tell me you're sick? I would've come over sooner."

"I didn't want you to worry 'bout me", he breathed and fell back onto the couch.

"Does anyone know? Soda? Darry?"

He shook his head. "Darry's got work today and Soda went to a rodeo out of town with Two-Bit. I didn't wanna bother 'em."

"Baby, you gotta tell us this stuff. What if you were seriously sick and had to go to the hospital when nobody was here? You're not botherin' us at all. Now, have you taken any medicine?"

"I took some aspirins earlier", he told me, immediately arising suspicion since I remembered how many he took the last time he got seriously sick.

"How many did you take?" I asked seriously, standing up and putting my hands on my hips. "And don't you dare lie to me, Ponyboy Michael Curtis."

He muttered an answer.

"Ponyboy, _how many aspirins did you take_?" I demanded sternly, emphasizing every word.

"Four", he said in a small voice.

"Jesus Christ, Ponyboy! You gotta stop doin' that! It's not healthy!" I exclaimed. "How long've you been like this?"

"Since eight", he answered before going into a coughing fit.

It was ten then, so he had been laying in the house, sick and alone, for two hours.

"I'm staying with you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

I could tell he wanted to argue, but his face went green and he hunched over the trash can, dry-heaving aggressively.

"Oh, baby", I said softly. I kneeled on the floor next to the couch and rubbed his back until he finished and lay himself back down.

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"No", he told me softly.

"Alright", I sighed, running a hand through my hair, "so this is what we're gonna do. I'm going to take your temperature and then I'll get you something to eat and drink and then I'll give you proper medicine."

He nodded slightly in response. I went into the bathroom, rummaging through the cabinets until I found a thermometer and some medicine and brought them back to Pony.

"Open up", I ordered. He did as I said and I held the thermometer under his tongue for the designated time. It read 101.2.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"One-hundred-one-point-two", I told him. "It could be worse, but you still have a fever."

I put the back of my hand to his forehead and he definitely felt warmer than usual.

"Damn, are your hands cold", Pony muttered.

"Sorry, love" I said.

I got up and went into the kitchen, searching through the refrigerator and cabinets for food that he could eat. Finally, I found some bread that I put into the toaster. When the toast was done, I filled a cup with water and brought both things into the living room.

"Thanks, Princess", Pony said as he took the plate with toast and set it on his lap.

"You're welcome", I told him and kissed his hot forehead.

While he ate, I turned on the television. "You wanna watch somethin' specific?"

"Whatever's on", he answered with a shrug.

I nodded and turned the knobs until I found "Star Trek", Pony's favorite show. He just loved it.

When I went back over to and plopped down on the couch, I could see him already immersed in the program. His green eyes were focused on the screen as he took small bites of toast and the occasional sip of water.

"Can you come over here?" Pony asked after a few minutes. His voice was still weak.

"Sure", I nodded, scooting over next to him. He sat up, propping his feet up on the coffee table and setting the plate of toast on the arm of the sofa before pulling me close to him.

"What's up?" I asked with a small smile.

"I want to cuddle", he explained, causing me to laugh. I threw my legs over his lap and leaned my head on his shoulder.

We sat like that and watched the T.V until the show was over.

"You feelin' any better?" I asked.

"A little", he said. "Not as nauseous anymore."

"That's good", I nodded.

"What'd you do yesterday without me?" he teased.

"I went over to Steve and Evie's. Spent some time with her and Andrew. He's smiling now."

"Is he really?"

"Yep, and let me tell you- it's adorable."

"I'll bet", he smiled, then yawned.

"You tired, honey?"

"A little", he admitted.

"Then go to bed", I laughed slightly. "There's nothin' stopping you."

He wrapped his arms securely around my waist. "Well, you're ain't allowed to leave."

"Wouldn't dream of it", I smiled.

He lay down, filling up the entire length of the couch. I lay down in front of him so his chest was to my back. He wrapped his arms securely around my waist and covered us both with his blanket.

I felt him lightly kiss the top of my head.

"I love you, darlin'", he whispered as he drifted off.

"I love you, honey", I said back, putting my hand on top of his on my stomach. "And I always will."

 **Hey, guys! Sorry about how long it's taken to update, but getting back to school is tough and I haven't had much time to myself. All rights for "Moon River" go to their respective people and rights to "The Outsiders" go to S.E Hinton. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	13. Chapter 13

"You know", Steve said a few weeks later, "Pony's gettin' more attention from the gals at the DX than I think Soda ever has."

I stopped by his and Evie's house on my way to work that day to see Andrew for a bit since it was a Saturday. Steve had come home for his lunch break.

"Really?" I asked as I held Andrew in my arms. "I find that pretty hard to believe. Soda gets the Socs _and_ the greaser girls."

"You better believe that your boyfriend does too", he told me in between bites of his sandwich.

"Sure", I said sarcastically. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Then come over one day and see for yourself."

A week later, I did exactly that. Mrs. Brown was sick that day, so the shop was closed since she ran everything and there was no other manager. The dance studio was closed for the day too since there was no heating and dancers plus cold weather don't make for a good combination.

It was a cold early-December day. There had been frost on the ground that morning and the cold wind bit into me as I walked.

The bell over the door of the DX jingled merrily as I walked in, rubbing my hands together and pulling Pony's letterman jacket tighter around me.

There were five girls occupying the area near the counter where Pony worked. Some of them leaned against the counter and pushed their breasts together with their elbows so more cleavage was visible. All five of them turned towards me when I walked towards them, shooting me dirty looks as I went. Their faces were caked with makeup and they had skimpy clothing on. They couldn't have looked more like stereotypical greaser girls if they tried.

"Honey!" I called over in an attempt to get my boyfriend's attention. He was turned towards the wall, stocking shelves.

He whipped around and a smile broke onto his face. "Hey, darlin'. How're ya doin'?"

I smiled and got behind the counter, giving him a peck on the lips. "Good. You?"

"Even better now."

The girls at the counter were fuming. Some of them leaned onto the counter further to make their cleavage even more visible while others were standing up straight with their arms crossed and noses in the air.

Ponyboy just seemed to notice they were there. "How're y'all doin' today?"

"Good", they chorused.

"Ain't you girls cold? It's forty outside and you don't have jackets."

"No, we're fine", one said. "Hot, even."

She looked at him seductively as she said that, pulling the neckline of her dress down slightly.

"Okay then", he nodded and turned back to me. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Mrs. Brown's sick today", I answered.

"Aw, hope she's alright."

"Me too."

"So're you gonna stay with me all day?"

"I'm plannin' on it", I laughed, slipping off my jacket. There was a little heater behind the counter that made the space warmer.

"Great", he beamed.

We talked as he continued to stock the shelves, me sitting in the chair behind the counter. The girls were relentless with their advances. They leaned against the counter and occasionally said some flirtatious things to Pony. But he never seemed to notice what they were doing.

Every time I looked at the girls out of the corner of my eye, they were glaring daggers at me and after a while I was sick of them and their flirting with my boyfriend.

"Pony", I said as I stood up and walked up behind him.

He turned around to face me. "Yeah?"

I stood up on tip-toe, grabbed his face in my hands, and kissed him. I could tell he was shocked for a moment, but he quickly kissed back and wrapped his arms around my waist.

The girls all scattered, some of them huffing and other grumbling to themselves as they left.

We took a minute to catch our breaths when we finally pulled away.

"What was that about?" Pony asked me. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Didn't you see those girls?"

"Sure, I did. What about 'em?"

"You didn't notice them flirting with you?"

"They were flirting with me?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows together.

"You're hopeless", I laughed unhumorously.

"Were you jealous?"

"No", I lied.

"Lily", Pony said as he looked into my eyes, "were you jealous?"

"A little. Yeah", I admitted.

"Darlin', you don't need to be jealous", he told me and wrapped me in a hug with his arms around my shoulders while mine curled around his middle. "You know I'd never leave you for them, don't you?"

"Mm-hm", I hummed into his warm chest.

"You're not just sayin' that to get me off'a your case, right?"

"I'm not just saying it", I assured him.

"Good", he said before kissing the top of my head.

XxXxXxXxXx

A couple weeks later it was Christmas. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and cold air that cut your cheeks like knives when it was windy.

It had been arranged that I would be going to the Curtis' house early on Christmas morning and staying over that night.

That day, my family woke up a little earlier than usual so we could open our presents before I went over to the Curtis'. I got the usual few worn or clearance dresses and some second-hand books.

After we opened our gifts, I rushed upstairs, changing from my pajamas into a blouse, skirt, and tights and slipping on my flats. I pulled my hair into a Dutch braid, put on my jewelry, and packed up my overnight things.

Running downstairs, I quickly brushed my teeth and said goodbye to my family before slipping on my jacket and leaving the house. I could see my breath in the early-morning air as I walked and shivered a little whenever there was a breeze. I put on some gloves as I walked, switching the bag of small gifts from one hand to the other as I did. The gifts weren't much, but they were something and there was something for everyone.

I knocked on the Curtis' door, which was opened a moment later by Ashlynn.

"Hey", she smiled and hugged me. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too", I laughed. "How was staying over here last night?"

"Chaotic", she sighed, "but fun. Let's get you inside before the cold gets in."

We walked inside the house and I hung up my jacket and gloves before dropping my backpack off in Pony and Soda's room.

"Everyone in the living room?" I asked Ashlynn.

"Yup." She nodded to the bag in my hand. "Gifts?"

"Yup", I repeated with a laugh before going into the living room.

"Hi, darlin'", Pony smiled at me and stood up, giving me a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas", I said back, giving him a peck on the lips.

"Ugh!" Two-Bit cried. "My eyes!"

We laughed, causing Andrew to giggle from Evie's lap.

"Hi, sweetie", I cooed. "Look at how cute you are!"

He had on a little red onesie with a Santa embroidered on the stomach.

"Ms. Young made it for him", Evie told me as she readjusted her son.

"She's one of the sweetest women you'll ever meet", I said.

"Damn right, she is", she agreed.

Everyone started exchanging and unwrapping presents. I got _A Wrinkle in Time_ from Rachel and Two-Bit, _Catch-22_ from Ruth and Darry, and a book about world history from Sodapop.

"How'd you know I liked world history?" I asked him as I gave him a hug in thanks.

"I didn't", he laughed. "Pony told me."

"He gave most of us ideas on what to get you, actually", Darry said. "Since y'all know each other the best."

My boyfriend's face turned pink, so I kissed his cheek. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.

Evie then handed me a gift wrapped in the familiar brown wrapping paper that my parents used. It looked like it was a box.

"They're not much", she said as I peeled back the wrapping paper and opened the box, finding a pair of silver three-inch heels. "They were mine when I was younger, so they're a little worn, but I think they're wearable. Hopefully they fit you. I think I wear the same size now as I did then."

"Thank you, Evie", I told her and leaned out of Pony's hold to give her a hug. "They're real pretty."

"I'm happy you think so."

"Whaddya think, Andrew?" I asked him. "You think they're pretty?"

He cooed in response.

"That's exactly what I thought", I smiled and rubbed his cheek.

"I'm next!" Ashlynn insisted, shoving her gift into my hands.

"Alright, alright", I laughed. I set the heels down and started opening the gift. It was a Barbie doll in a black and white bathing suit, heels, and her hair in a ponytail. I looked up at Ashlynn with a confused expression.

"That's the Barbie doll I stole from you about ten years ago", Ashlynn laughed.

I wracked my brain trying to remember what she was talking about before finally vaguely remembering her taking the Barbie doll that I had gotten for my eighth birthday and starting to laugh too. "Where did you find this?"

"In a drawer in my room that I haven't looked in in ages."

"Thanks, Ash", I laughed and gave her a hug.

Ponyboy leaned over, reached under the Christmas tree, and handed me what he took out. It was wrapped in several layers of wrapping paper and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"It's breakable", he explained.

I nodded and started to carefully unwrap the present, finding a small snow-globe. I held it up closer to my face and saw a figure of a Monarch butterfly inside before tipping it and watching the white flakes fall on and around the butterfly.

"It's so pretty", I muttered.

"I thought you'd like it", Pony smiled.

"Thank you, love", I said, giving him a kiss.

"You're welcome, darlin'."

When everyone had given out and gotten their presents, Darry cleared his throat, causing us all to turn towards him.

"I got a gift to give to Ruth", he said.

"Babe, you already gave me my present", Ruth reminded him and held up the new notebook that he had given her earlier since she worked as a receptionist and needed to write things down.

"That's not everything", Darry said.

"You didn't have to get me anything else."

"But I wanted to."

Ponyboy hugged me closer and was trying to keep a smile off of his face, as was Soda. I had a feeling they knew something that the rest of us didn't.

Darry stood up and helped Ruth up as well.

"Ruth, I love you so much. When I first saw you when I almost dropped a hammer on your head, I knew you were the one for me", he said, causing everyone to laugh. "Since we've been together, I've been happier. You make me a better man. So, I guess what I'm tryin' to say is…", he trailed off and took something out of his pocket before getting down on one knee and opening up a box, revealing a ring. "Ruth, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Ruth's hands went over her mouth and she started to cry.

"Yes!" she yelled. "Yes, of course, Darry!" She knocked him onto the ground with a hug and kissed him. We all cheered and clapped for them and I couldn't help the tears coming to my eyes.

When they finally broke apart, Darry took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Ruth's finger.

"So you knew about this?" I asked Pony.

"Of course I knew", he laughed. "You really think Darry would ask Ruth to marry him without talking to me and Soda first?"

"True", I admitted.

"Well", Two-Bit laughed and clapped his hands together, "who's ready for breakfast?"

We all sat down at the kitchen table and talked as we ate. Ruth rested her head on Darry's shoulder and they never stopped looking at each other the entire meal.

"Can I see?" I asked as the dishes were cleared away, gesturing to her hand.

"Of course", she smiled.

I took her hand and looked at her new ring. It was a simple- a gold band with a single small diamond- but it was very pretty and looked nice on Ruth's thin finger.

"Hey, y'all!" Soda called to us in a taunting tone. "Look what we got!" He walked in from the living room with a sprig of something in his hand.

"What in God's name is that supposed to be?" Darry asked.

"Mistletoe!" Steve exclaimed.

"That's a piece of the Christmas tree", Pony said.

"You're no fun", Soda told him and stuck out his tongue, Pony following suit.

"We're gonna put this in the doorway and whoever goes under it's gotta kiss", Steve explained.

"Steve, we know how the whole mistletoe thing works", I said.

Soda Scotch-taped the "mistletoe" on top of the doorway with Steve standing next to him. Of course, that meant that when the job was done the two best friends were standing next to each other…under the mistletoe.

They looked at each other with shocked expressions, obviously not expecting their plan to backfire, as we laughed at their expense.

Steve cleared his throat. "Okay…new rule. If two boys or two girls get caught under the mistletoe they gotta…", he trailed off and turned to Soda for help.

"Kiss 'em on the cheek", Soda quickly responded.

"Yeah", Steve nodded. "You gotta kiss 'em on the cheek."

"So?" Darry asked after a minute. "What're y'all waitin' for? Kiss each other on the cheek."

"Oh yeah", Soda said, seemingly forgetting the rule he had just made. He leaned over and gave Steve a quick peck on the cheek before making a b-line to the couch and sitting on Ashlynn's lap, causing her to groan at his weight.

"Babe, what the hell do you think you're doin'?"

"I needed to get away from Steve", he stage-whispered.

Steve rolled his eyes and picked up Andrew. "Hey, buddy. You like your gift?"

Andrew had gotten a little stuffed bear from Evie and Steve and hadn't let go of it the entire time he had been at the house.

He just yawned and blinked sleepily.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed", Steve told his son. "Dar, can I put 'im in your room?"

"Sure", Darry agreed, and with that Andrew was whisked away to the other room to take a nap.

I tried to never get up from the couch for fear that I would get caught under the mistletoe with someone other than Pony, but after a while of talking in the living room, the precaution slipped my mind and I went into the kitchen to grab myself a Pepsi from the refrigerator. When I walked back into the living room, I was caught in the doorway with Sodapop.

We both just stared at each other for a moment, wondering how we were going to get out of our situation. The problem was that we couldn't get out of it since everyone had seen us walk under the doorway together.

"You gotta kiss", Rachel told us.

I leaned over and kissed Soda on the cheek. "There."

"No, you gotta really kiss 'im", she insisted.

"No", I told her sternly. "We aren't kissing. No."

But they wouldn't give up that easily. Almost the entire gang egged the two of us on for a good while until I finally relented.

"Fine!" I exclaimed. I turned towards Soda and gave him a peck on the lips that barely contained any contact. It seemed to satisfy the gang, though, because they shut up.

The condensation on my Pepsi had made my hand wet and I wiped it on my skirt before going over and sitting on my boyfriend's lap, putting the drink on the coffee table.

Pony felt tense and kept his eyes glued to the T.V while he clenched his jaw.

"You okay, honey?" I asked.

He ripped his gaze away from the T.V and looked at me for a moment before picking me up and carrying me over to the doorway where his kissed me. I kissed back, of course, and wrapped my arms around his neck to hold myself up as the gang whooped and wolf-whistled from the living room and kitchen.

"Ponyboy Michael, are you jealous?" I asked with a laugh when we pulled away.

His cheeks and the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. "A little."

"Soda's like my brother", I told him. "I love you and only you."

"I love you too", Pony said, lightly kissing my forehead and putting me back down on my feet.

XxXxXxXxXx

A few weeks later while Ashlynn and I were teaching, the receptionist burst into the room.

"Lily, Ashlynn", she hurriedly told us, "you need to go right now."

"What?" I asked frantically. "Where?"

"At your boyfriends' house. Someone called and said you need to get over there right now."

Ashlynn and I looked at each other and then Madame Evelyn.

"Yes. Of course. Go!" she exclaimed.

We ran into the area where we got changed and didn't even change our clothes, just our shoes, before shouldering our bags and booking it out of there. We ran all the way to the Curtis' house in our leotards, ballet skirts, and tights, not even caring how insane we must have looked or who got in our way as we ran down the sidewalks. Even though it was January, we couldn't feel the cold.

When we got to the house, we burst through the door to find everyone in the living room. Darry was pacing and looked totally distraught as his fiancée watched on from the couch. Ponyboy and Soda were sitting on the couch and crying. Two-Bit was leaning against the wall, nervously flicking his switch-blade in and out as Rachel stood next to him and rung her hands. Steve was trying to console his best friend, but to no avail. Evie was rocking Andrew while she walked around the room. Pony and Soda's crying seemed to have triggered the same reaction from Andrew since he was wailing in his mother's arms.

"What happened?" I almost screamed. "What happened?"

Tears started to leak out of Darry's eyes as well and he wiped them away hurriedly with the back of his hand. No one except the brothers seemed to know what was going on.

"Answer me, goddammit!" I yelled. "Someone tell me what's wrong!"

"You might wanna sit down for this", Darry told Ashlynn and I in a throaty voice.

Ashlynn looked like she was about to start shaking so I grabbed her hand and sat her down in Darry's recliner as I sat on its arm.

"You wanna tell 'em?" Darry asked, turning to the couch.

Soda looked up and choked out a sob. "I-I've been drafted."

"What?" Ashlynn asked as tears sprung to my eyes.

"I've been drafted", Soda repeated in a soft voice.

Then I started to cry, along with Ashlynn. I slid down into the seat with her and we held each other as we sobbed. Everyone else started to cry then too. Even Steve and Two-Bit.

After what felt like hours, I felt a light pressure on my back. I picked my head out of Ashlynn's neck to see my boyfriend standing next to me with tears streaming down his face. Sodapop was next to Ashlynn.

She and I both launched ourselves into our boyfriends' arms. Ponyboy squeezed me so hard around my waist that I thought I would have thought that it would have made me suffocate if I didn't already feel that way. It felt like my throat was closing up and before I knew it, I had started to hyperventilate.

My breaths were becoming fast and I felt like I simultaneously couldn't get enough air into my body and couldn't get enough air out. My head was incredibly light and I started to feel like if I didn't hold onto something, I would keel over. In general terms, I was in full anxiety-attack-mode.

"Darry, get 'er a paper bag!" I heard Pony yell. But I passed out before Darry could even get out of the living room.

XxXxXxXxXx

When my eyes opened, the room was as dark as it was behind my eyelids. I stared at the non-visible ceiling for a moment and tried to remember how I got wherever I was. My thoughts backtracked until they got to Soda announcing that he had gotten drafted. I swallowed thickly and sat up, needing to get out of the room I was in as soon as possible. I felt like it was closing in on me and I desperately needed air and light.

After finally finding and opening the door, I figured out that I had been in Soda and Pony's room. I walked into the living room to find everyone scattered around. My boyfriend was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes trained on his shoes. No one was talking and the T.V wasn't on, so the room was completely silent other than my footsteps.

Everyone looked up at me when I got into the living room's doorway. Tears came to my eyes as I stood there and studied everyone's tortured expressions.

I blinked rapidly and walked across the room to Ponyboy, burying myself in his chest and starting to cry.

"Ponyboy", I whimpered.

"I know, baby", he muttered and kissed my head. "I know."

"He can't go."

"I have to, Lily-flower", Soda said quietly from the couch, where he was sitting with Ashlynn tightly in his arms.

"But what if something happens? What if you…what if you die?"

"I'm not gonna die."

"You can't guarantee that", Pony argued.

"I'm goin' with him", Steve announced.

"No, you're not", Soda told him sternly. "I won't let you."

"Neither will the government", Darry broke in. "Andrew's your dependent. They won't let you go."

There was silence again for a few minutes before Two-Bit spoke up. "I'll go."

"No, Two-Bit", Soda said.

"Yes, Soda", Two-Bit retorted back. "I'm sure as hell not lettin' you go to 'Nam by yourself."

"Keith, this isn't just an 'oh, I'll go with you across town so you won't be alone' sort of thing", I told him. "You're saying you're going to voluntarily join the army and go thousands of miles away to fight in a war that nobody supports."

"I know damn well what I'm saying. I'm not gonna let Soda do that by himself. If he goes over there with nobody he knows, he's gonna be even worse off than he would be than he would be if I went with 'im."

We all knew that he was right, so nobody argued.

"Why do you have to go?" Ashlynn asked Soda, burying her head into his shoulder.

"I wish I knew, sweetheart", he told her and held her closer.

 **OH MY GOD WHY DO I KEEP DOING THIS TO YOU PEOPLE!? I'm soooo sorry it took this long for me to update. School has kept me insanely busy and I haven't had much time to write. I've been debating with myself about someone from the gang being drafted for a while and finally decided to go through with it. But Darry's getting married! I'm excited for that myself. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	14. Chapter 14

Two-Bit registered a few days later and he and Soda would be leaving in March. We were all planning to spend as much time with them as possible before they left. Unfortunately, I could never spend as much time with them as I wanted to because of my busy schedule.

A week after we learned that he had been drafted, Soda came up with an idea, which he told to Pony, Ashlynn, and I when she and I went over to the DX between jobs on a Saturday. "We should go riding, just the four of us."

"When were you thinking?" Pony asked him. He had been completely torn up since we got the news and I had been trying to help him as much as I could. I was a mess too. All of the guys were like my big brothers, but out of all of them, I was closest to Soda.

"This comin' Saturday maybe", Soda shrugged. "We can go out to the ranch where Mickey Mouse used to be and get some horses to ride. The guy that owns the ranch likes me, so we might even get the good horses."

I smiled a little and nodded. "That sounds nice. I'll ask my parents."

Ashlynn leaned on Soda and wrapped her arms around his middle. "And I'll ask my mom."

My parents agreed when I asked them the next day, as did Ms. Young when Ashlynn asked her. Soda informed the man that ran the ranch that we were coming.

That Saturday, Ashlynn and I took the day off and went to the Curtis' house, where Pony let us in before going and getting ready with his older brother. The two of us sat on the couch and watched T.V, where the news was informing us on the terrors of the war.

After a few minutes, I was absolutely done with hearing about it and got up to change the channel. I turned the knob a few times before finding a channel that was playing "I Dream of Jeannie" and sitting back on the couch.

There were some thumps and banging noises coming from Pony and Soda's room which went on for a while.

"Y'all alright in there?" Ashlynn called to them.

"Never been better, Ash!" Soda's voice yelled back.

"Think they'll come out soon?" I asked her, keeping my eyes on the screen and watching Barbara Eden blink and nod her head.

"I hope so", she answered. "They're the ones that are teachin' us how to ride."

I nodded. Neither of us had ever ridden horses before and I wasn't too anxious to fall off of one.

Just then, the boys came out, dressed in worn jeans, jackets, and boots.

It was strange seeing my boyfriend in cowboy boots. I had never really thought about it, but when I did, I figured that he knew how to ride a horse. Lots of people in Tulsa did.

"You two look like regular cowboys", I laughed.

"Why, thank you kindly, ma'am", Pony said, playing up his accent and tipping an invisible hat.

"Let's get goin'!" Soda exclaimed, running out of the house and to Darry's truck. He was going to be at Ruth's place all day, so we had the truck to ourselves.

"I'm drivin', Sodapop", Pony said.

"And why can't I?" Soda asked and placed his hands on his hips sassily.

"Because", Pony said, copying his brother's stance, "whenever you drive it's like we're in a damn drag race."

Soda looked up at his brother and seemed to realize that Ponyboy was taller than him. "Wait. When the hell did you get taller than me?"

"A couple months ago, at least", Pony laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't notice faster."

"Jesus, you're as tall as Darry", Soda said. "Guess we can't call you 'Little-Colt' anymore."

"You got that right, kid brother", Pony laughed and rustled Soda's perfectly greased hair before running to the truck and jumping into the driver's seat.

"Why'd we start datin' them again?" Ashlynn teased.

"Because they're cute."

"Oh, yeah."

The ride to the ranch was interesting, just as any extended period of time spent with anyone in the Curtis gang was, and about an hour later, we were finally there. It was a little ranch surrounded by grassy land. It was in the beginnings of the country, where there were still houses fairly close together, but not right next to each other like they were at home.

When we got out of the truck, a man that looked to be in his forties came out of the ranch house and greeted Sodapop. They shook hands before turning to us.

"Mr. Preston, this's my girlfriend, Ashlynn", Soda told the man as he put an arm around her.

"Nice t'meet you", Mr. Preston said and shook Ashlynn's hand.

"And you remember Ponyboy."

"My god, have you gotten big!" Mr. Preston exclaimed with a laugh. "Last time I saw you, you were this lanky 'lil thing with long legs and a missin' tooth."

Pony blushed a bit, but laughed and shook his hand. "This is my girlfriend, Lily", he said, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Nice to meet you too", Mr. Preston told me and shook my hand.

He led us to the barn and said that we could use any horse we wanted, just so long as we didn't lose it or hurt it.

"You can trust me, sir. I'm a professional", Soda smiled. Mr. Preston did the same and left us to our devices.

"Alright, then", Soda said and clapped his hands together. "How're we gonna do this?"

"Me and Lily've never ridden before", Ashlynn told him.

"We'll ride with y'all then."

Sodapop and Ponyboy took a minute to discuss which horses we would be taking before they went into the horses' stalls and led two of them out.

Pony came up to me, leading a pretty chestnut-colored horse behind him.

"This's Oakley", he introduced and affectionately rubbed the horse's muzzle.

I tentatively put out my hand and rubbed Oakley's muzzle as well, emitting a laugh from my boyfriend.

"He ain't gonna hurt you, darlin'", he laughed and put his hand on mine, making me pet the horse with him. "See? He's gentle as a kitten."

"He's way bigger than a kitten, I can tell you that for damn sure", I muttered, causing Pony to laugh again.

"Y'all ready?" Soda asked us as he finished helping Ashlynn onto their horse.

"Gettin' there", Pony responded and proceeded to toss me over his shoulder.

"What the hell're you doin'?" I asked him.

"Gettin' you up on this horse", he answered. I felt my butt on something and assumed it was the horse's back.

"Just push yourself up by pushing on my shoulders."

I did as Pony said and sat up, my hands tightly gripping his shoulders in hopes that I wouldn't fall. He chuckled and bent and pushed my leg over so I was sitting astride the horse instead of side-saddle.

"You on?" he asked and put a hand on my thigh above my knee.

"I think so."

He deftly swung himself onto the horse behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I lay my head back onto his chest.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No, it just feels weird. Like I'm gonna fall off whenever it moves."

"I won't let you", Pony assured me. "As long as my arms are around you and you're holdin' the reins, you'll be fine."

"Okay", I nodded, grabbing the reins so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Darlin', you're fine", he whispered into my ear.

"Let's go!" Soda exclaimed. Ashlynn was in front of him like I was with Pony. "Yeehaw!" And with that, Soda kicked the horse in the side to get it to move and shot off. I could hear Ashlynn screeching as they rode.

"Ponyboy, I swear to God that if you make the horse go that fast, I'll kill you", I threatened.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, darlin'. I wouldn't dream of it." He kicked the horse lightly and it started to trot.

When it started to move, I aggressively gripped the reins and hugged my legs and feet around the horse's middle. Pony started to lightly laugh and kissed my head as he wrapped one arm securely around my waist and used the other to grip the reins along with me.

After a few minutes, Soda and Ashlynn rode back over to us. Her face was red, her hair was everywhere and her blue-grey eyes were wide.

"So", Pony started with a small laugh, "how was it?"

"Great!" Soda exclaimed at the same time Ashlynn muttered "Jesus Christ".

"Look what you went and did, Soda", I teased. "You traumatized your poor girlfriend for life."

"Sorry, sweetheart", he chuckled and slightly squeezed his arm around her middle.

"Just…don't do that again, Sodapop", she breathed. A smile tugged at her lips and the look of panic started to fade from her eyes.

We rode those horses until dinnertime and by then I had one hell of a bruise developing on my butt from all the bouncing around.

"I'm done", I groaned, throwing myself across the back seats of the truck. "I give."

"Oh, stop bein' such a drama queen and move your ass over", Ashlynn faux griped and shoved me over into a single seat.

I groaned again, but scooted over and buckled my seatbelt. "I think I'm gonna take a nap. You bother me, you die. Capiche?"

"Yup. G'night", Soda smirked.

My eyes closed and by the time we were off of the ranch's property, I was asleep.

Ponyboy's POV

Lily fell asleep only a few minutes after we left the ranch, and I took that opportunity to talk about something that I didn't want her to know about.

"Soda", I said to get his attention from the driver's seat next to me.

"Yeah?"

"D'you know where Mom's ring is?"

"What?" he and Ashlynn both asked.

"Mom's ring", I repeated. "Her engagement ring."

After Mom and Dad died, their rings were split between the three of us brothers. Darry got Dad's wedding ring, Soda got Mom's, and I got her engagement ring, though since they had died none of us had even looked at them. When I was younger, I would constantly play with it while it was on her hand, twisting it around her finger and whatnot. She always told me that when I met the right girl, she would give it to me to propose with. I wanted to make good on that.

"Why?" he asked.

"I wanna propose to Lily before you go."

"Pony, don't let this whole thing change any of your plans. Don't do it just 'cause I'm leavin'."

"I've been wantin' to propose for a long time. This just…speeds thing up."

"Ponyboy, you listen to me and you listen to me good; you're gonna propose to her properly. Don't go and do this impromptu proposal just because I'm leavin'. Do it when you'd planned to do it and make sure it's perfect. I don't matter in this. _You're_ the one proposing to 'er. Not me."

I nodded slightly and he took a hand off of the steering wheel to clap me on the shoulder.

"Wait, wait, wait", Ashlynn said from the backseat. I looked back to look at he and saw my girlfriend's head resting on her shoulder as she slept. I smiled at how peaceful she looked.

"You're gonna propose?" Ashlynn asked.

"Yep."

She smirked a bit and turned her head a bit to look at her best friend. "Good. It took you long enough."

I laughed and rolled my eyes teasingly at her. Truthfully, I had known that Lily was the one since we first started dating. Even when I saw her for the first time on the first day of high school I had been drawn to her and had had a crush on her by the time I dropped her off at her house.

Of course since we had both lived in Tulsa for our entire lives, I must have seen her in passing during middle school and she was probably in some of my classes over the years, but I had never actually met her. If someone had mentioned her name to me I wouldn't have known who she was. But on that first day of school everything changed.

Two-Bit, Johnny and I had walked to school that morning because Two-Bit's car had broken down yet again and Steve couldn't be bothered to come. I was all kinds of nervous but Johnny and Two-Bit's reassurances that I would be alright had calmed me down slightly by the time we had gotten to school.

I rushed to my first period English class to find the room virtually empty, so I chose a random seat in the back of the room where it was unlikely that I would be noticed. Since it was an honors class, there were all Socs other than me so I shrank down in my seat and tried not to make myself a target.

After a few minutes the class was almost full and the one of the only seats left was the one next to me (go figure). I kept my head down and didn't speak to or look at anyone.

Then someone came over to my table. I could see a splotch of light blue out of the corner of my eye which was tucked under the person as they sat down in the seat next to mine. That was when I knew it was a girl tucking her dress under herself.

I silently exhaled and looked up, expecting to see a Soc girl glaring at me. Instead, there was a girl with the prettiest smile I had ever seen and it was directed straight at me. I thought she was a Soc for a moment before looking down and seeing that she was wearing Converse like I was, though hers looked newer. Her hair was caramel brown and part of it was put into a small braid that went into a larger one. Her eyes were brown and when I saw them my breath caught in my throat. Sure, I had seen brown eyes before. My own brother and my best friend both had them. But hers were something else. They weren't almost black like Johnny's or reckless like Soda's. They were the color of chocolate and looked soft and kind and warm.

"Hi", I stuttered with a small smile, my anxiety suddenly spiking up and my heart pounding. "I'm new here."

 _Why would you say that?_ I asked myself. _You idiot._

The girl just cocked her head a little. "Did you just move here?" she asked.

 _God, even her voice is beautiful,_ I thought.

"No", I laughed shakily. "I skipped eighth grade."

Her eyes widened and I was scared of what would come next.

"So did I!" she said happily.

I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I tried making a joke. "Well, great minds think alike, I suppose, and apparently we both have great minds."

I internally cringed when I heard myself speak, but she laughed.

"I'm Lily Smith", she introduced herself.

"Mine's Ponyboy Curtis", I told her and immediately regretted it. I hadn't even introduced myself the same way she had. I was almost thankful when the teacher walked in and interrupted our conversation.

While we worked on the paper our teacher, Mr. Syme, had passed out to us, Lily turned to me. "Is Ponyboy your real name?"

I smiled unamusedly. God knows how many times I've heard that one. "Yep. I've got a brother named Sodapop too. It says so on his birth certificate. Our dad was real original." Even mentioning Dad caused a sharp pain in my chest.

"I like it", she smiled. "It's very unique. I've never heard a name like it."

I smiled gratefully back at her before we both went back to our papers.

"After you finish your papers, you can have free time", Mr. Syme announced a few minutes later. By then, both of us were already done.

"How old are you, Ponyboy?" she asked.

"Fourteen", I answered. "My birthday was about a week ago. You?"

"Thirteen", she said. "My birthday's in a month."

"You can call me Pony, you know", I told her. "Everyone else does."

"Okay, Pony", she said, seeming to test it out.

"You're not a Soc…are you?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Nope. Greaser."

"Huh…you don't seem like a greaser."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" she asked with a small smile.

"A compliment", I quickly assured her.

"So, what's your family like?" I asked her after a few moments of silence.

"Well, I've got my mom and dad. They're real nice. Then I've got my little brother and sister. They're a handful."

"How old are they?"

"Ten. They're twins."

"Annoying?"

"Like you wouldn't believe", she laughed lightly. "And you?"

"I've got my two older brothers", I said, choosing my words carefully and trying to avoid talk of Mom and Dad at all costs. "Soda's almost seventeen and he's real nice and funny."

"Does he go to this school?"

"Um…no", I stuttered. "He dropped out. He works at the DX."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What about the other one?"

"Darry's twenty and he's alright, but kinda strict. He gave up college to take care of me and Soda. Well, Soda works all day too to get more money."

"Why? What about your parents?" she asked.

I flinched a little. "They- they died…about eight months ago. Auto-wreck."

Lily put a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I shouldn't have asked. God I'm stupid-", she started to ramble.

"It's okay", I cut her off. "Like you said, you didn't know."

We were silent for a couple of minutes, just kind of staring at each other and not knowing where to go from there.

"What's your schedule?" she finally asked.

"Let me check", I said, reaching into my backpack and pulling it out before handing it to her. She took it and looked back and forth from it to her schedule. I watched her eyes move constantly and was only pulled out of my reverie when she looked back up at me with a smile on her face.

"We've got all the same classes. Probably 'cause we both skipped a year."

"At least we'll know somebody in our classes then", I said as she gave my schedule back to me.

"Yeah", she agreed.

We went around school together that day, never leaving each other's side. Lunch was the only time we weren't together and I sat with Two-Bit and Johnny. During that time, I told them that I would be walking home with someone else and that I would meet them at the DX after school. I would have had them walk home with Lily and I, but I didn't want to scare her off.

When school ended, the two of us left the building just before Two-Bit and Johnny did. I walked fast and hoped they wouldn't notice me, but I rapidly heard a sharp wolf-whistle and Two-Bit screaming "Get some, Pony!"

"Who was that?" Lily asked, turning around slightly.

I blushed heavily and continued walking. "Just a friend of mine."

"Why don't we go talk to him?"

"He'll just slow us down and I wanna get you home before all the Socs start goin' crazy."

She nodded in agreement and matched my pace. When we had both stood up after first period, I had noticed that she was shorter than me, the top of her head only coming up to my eyes. It felt nice to be taller for once. I was pretty short, especially for a high-schooler, and compared to the rest of the gang I was practically a toddler.

The two of us walked in silence for a bit before I decided to say something. "What do you like to do?"

"Well, what do you like to do?" she teased.

"I asked first."

"Fine", she relented with an exaggerated pout. "I'll go first. I love to read and write. It makes me so happy."

I had never met another greaser that liked to read and write. "What's your favorite book?"

" _Little Women_. I've read it probably about five times. What about you?"

" _Gone with the Wind_ 's my favorite. What else do you like to do?"

"I dance", she answered. "I love it."

"You dance?" I asked as I tried to use Two-Bit's trick of cocking an eyebrow, though I wasn't surprised at all. Even the way she walked was elegant.

"Yeah. Been doin' it since I was two. I mainly do ballet and tap, but I'm getting into ballroom a bit."

"And you're how old?" I asked in disbelief.

"Fourteen next month. Why?"

"You've been dancing for _twelve years_?"

"Yeah. I met my best friend there, actually. When you love something like I love dance, you never wanna stop, if that makes sense."

I stared at her the entire time she was talking. Glory, was she ever pretty, and she got even prettier when she talked about something she loved. Her eyes brightened up.

"Would you like something?" she asked with a small laugh, breaking me out of a daze for the second time that day.

"When you talk about somethin' you're passionate about, you can see it in your eyes. They light up", I said before I could think about it and quickly tried to cover it up. "You'll have to give me dance lessons one day. I'm not the best dancer."

"It's actually the only sport I'm good at", she giggled. "I'm really clumsy and get scared when balls get thrown at me." Her giggle was adorable and made me laugh too.

"I only do track. I'm pretty good", I admitted.

"I can run too. I'm pretty good at sprints."

"You wanna race?" I asked. The coach of my old track team in middle school had me randomly race boys on my team all the time since I was the fastest on the team.

"Ponyboy Curtis, are you challenging me?"

"You bet I am", I smirked.

"Yeah", she agreed. "Let's do it."

When she dropped her backpack onto the ground I suddenly realized one drawback I didn't usually have when I raced against people: she was wearing a dress.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You're in a dress, y'know."

"I'm perfectly aware of my apparel", she teased. "It's nothin' I haven't done before. Now, if I were wearing heels, that would be another story. Luckily I'm wearing my Converse today."

I nodded and also dropped my backpack on the ground before crouching into a running stance. "Aren't you gonna get down?" I asked her.

"I'm better if I start off standing, and as you pointed out, _I am_ in a dress." Her lips were pulling up into a smirk as she talked.

"If you say so", I shrugged. "To the lamppost?"

"Sounds good. On your mark, get set, go!"

We both sprinted towards the lamppost and before I knew it, I was running on her heels. When she got to the lamppost, she immediately hunched over a bit and tried to catch her breath. I got there a few moments later and also almost keeled over.

"Wow, you _are_ fast", I told her in-between wheezes.

"Why, thank you", she said and finally straightened up, smoothing out her dress. "You weren't too bad yourself." The short hairs that lined her face were everywhere and the rest was overcome by fly-aways. My hair was probably a mess too, though. "Let's grab our bags and keep walking."

"So what else do you like?" I asked when we started on our travel again.

"I love music."

"Really? What kind?"

"I like Elvis."

"Me too. What's your favorite by him?"

"Probably 'Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'Jailhouse Rock'."

"My favorite's 'Love Me Tender'."

"I like that one too", she smiled. "It's sweet."

"Anything else you like to do?"

"I like watching the sky. The moon, the stars, sunsets, things like that."

"Me too. I sit on my back steps and watch the sunset whenever I can."

"I see it better from my driveway. You know somethin', Pony?"

"What?" I asked.

"You aren't a typical greaser and definitely not a typical greaser boy."

"Thank you?" I said, more as a question than a statement.

"It's a compliment", she laughed. "You're unique and you don't try to be super tough like the other boys."

"You sayin' I ain't tough?" I joked.

"No, you're probably very tough. You're tuff too, though, I'll tell you that right now."

"Thanks, Lily", I said before looping my arm through hers. I hoped she would just see it as a friendly thing, even though I was aching to have at least a little physical contact with her right then.

"No problem", she smiled. She didn't pull her arm away as we continued to walk and speak, which was a good sign.

Soon, we got to her house and I regretfully had to unlink our arms.

"Maybe we could see a movie sometime, seein' as we both like 'em so much", I suggested before realizing what it might have sounded like. "As friends of course."

"That sounds fun. Are we walking again tomorrow?"

"We wouldn't want any of us gettin' jumped, now would we?" I teased.

"No", she agreed and cocked an eyebrow. "Seven-fifteen sharp, y'hear?"

"Yes, ma'am", I saluted.

"See you tomorrow, Pony", she told me with a smile.

"See you tomorrow, Lily", I said and ran off to the DX. My heart was pounding as I ran and it wasn't just from the exercise. _God, she's amazing_ , I thought. She was pretty, smart, and funny. I already knew that I was harboring a crush on her and I had only met her that day. I had never actually liked a girl before and didn't really know what to do.

I burst into the DX trying (and miserably failing) to keep the smile off my face.

"What's got you so happy?" Soda asked from behind the counter. "Someone give you a cancer stick?"

"No", I laughed, rolling my eyes and pulling out a cigarette of my own.

"Was it that broad you were walkin' home with?" Two-Bit laughed as he leaned against the counter, a beer in hand.

"You were walkin' home with a girl?" Soda exclaimed.

"I walked her home so she wouldn't get jumped", I said as an excuse.

"What's her name?" Johnny asked.

"Lily", I answered with a slight smile between puffs of my cigarette.

"She a greasy gal?" Two-Bit asked.

"Well, she's a greaser, but she don't act like one. She's real nice and smart."

"Oh, please do tell", Soda said, leaning across the counter and batting his eyelashes at me.

"Oh, quit it, would ya?" I laughed.

"What's she look like?" he asked.

"She's pretty. Light brown hair and brown eyes. A little shorter than me."

"She got big boobs?" Two-Bit asked.

I blushed and smacked his arm. "Hell, I dunno. I wasn't lookin' there."

"Well, if she ain't blonde and don't got big boobs, she's all yours, buddy."

"You're a pig", I told him.

"It's my specialty", he said with a cocky smirk.

As I looked at my girlfriend sleeping on the way home from the ranch that memory hit me hard.

She deserved the world. She deserved everything. And yet she had chosen me. I was prepared to give her anything and everything she ever wanted or needed. And if that meant that I would have to wait to propose to her so it would be absolutely perfect, then so be it.

"Ashlynn, can you look at her ring and see if it's the right size?" I asked her.

She nodded and took Lily's left hand, twisting and pulling at the ring to see if it was too big or small. When I had gotten the ring for her, I had guessed at the size and luckily, it had seemed right.

Soon, Ashlynn slipped the ring back onto her best friend's finger and released her hand before looking back at me. "It's the right size."

"Good", I nodded.

Lily had told me multiple times that people had asked if she was engaged since she wore the ring on her left ring finger. I always joked with her that it was practice and soon that practice would make good, I hoped. I knew she would accept, but there was always that nagging in my head that said "What if?". That was what scared me most.

My plan of about a year had been to propose to her before high school ended so we could get married right after college. If we both got into our dream colleges, we would be a long way apart with her in Rhode Island and me in New Jersey and I was dreading that separation. We had both sent in applications to those schools along with more local ones at the beginning of the school year and would be getting our answers near the time that Soda and Two-Bit would be leaving.

"Oh, and by the way, Pony", Soda said with a smile, "the ring's in Mom and Dad's room in Mom's jewelry box on the dresser."

 **Yay! A semi-regular space of time between updates! This was a cute chapter to write and it's fun to get Pony's perspective on things. Don't worry about the engagement aspect. I've got a plan and I can't wait to write it. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


	15. Chapter 15

On a Tuesday in late February it was my Dad's thirty-eighth birthday. When I walked through the door that night after work, I was pounced on by my parents.

"What's goin' on?" I asked, slightly concerned.

"Gracie, your letter came", Dad said excitedly.

"My letter?"

"Your letter from Brown", Mom clarified.

My eyes widened. "It did?"

Both of them nodded.

"C'mon, let's go see what it says", Mom urged. And with that I was pulled into the kitchen.

"Anna! Henry! Get down here!" Dad called.

I could hear their footsteps pounding down the stairs and running towards us.

"What's goin' on?" Henry asked.

"Lily got her acceptance letter to Brown", Mom said happily.

"We don't know that I got accepted", I reminded her. "I was probably rejected. There're lots of better people they could've picked."

"If you weren't accepted then they're missing out on an amazing person", Dad told me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Even if you didn't get into Brown, there're lots of other colleges that would be more than happy to take you."

Anna and Henry sat down at the table on one side of me and my parents settled themselves on the other side.

Anna reached over and handed me the envelope from the center of the table. The university's emblem stared out at me from the corner of the paper.

"Well, what're you waiting for, Gracie?" Dad asked. "Open it!"

I nodded and took a deep breath before tearing open the seal and taking out the envelope.

My hands were shaking as I opened up the letter and one went over my mouth when I read the first sentence.

" _Dear Miss Lily Smith,_

 _It is our pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted to Brown University as a student of the class of 1973…"_

As I scanned the rest of the letter, I found that I had gotten a full ride scholarship.

"What?" Mom asked frantically. "What does it say?"

"I got in", I whispered before talking a little louder and taking my hand from in front of my mouth. "I got in."

"Did you really?" Henry asked incredulously.

"Yeah", I nodded as I started to cry. "I did."

Mom pulled me over to her and squeezed me tightly. "You did it, gigola. You did it."

Dad joined in on the hug almost immediately, as did the twins a few moments later.

"This's the best damn birthday present I think I've ever gotten", Dad laughed, causing us all to do the same.

"Thank you", I said.

"Who're you thankin'?" Anna asked.

"All of you", I smiled widely, even though tears were pouring out of my eyes.

"For what, Gracie?" Dad asked as he wiped the wetness from my cheek with the pad of his rough thumb.

"Everything", I laughed.

"This's all you, Peanut", Mom said. "You did this all yourself."

"Well, I never would'a gotten here without y'all", I insisted. "Just…just thank you so much."

We all just stayed there in our little huddle for a while, until Dad spoke.

"You wanna go tell Ponyboy?"

"Of course."

"Then go. Don't be out too late though and be careful."

I nodded and kissed everyone on the cheek before running out of the house and to the Curtis'. Luckily, I had remembered to keep my switchblade in my pocket, so if I were to get jumped, at least I would have something to defend myself with.

I burst through the front door, only to find my boyfriend standing in the doorway of the bathroom with wet hair, a towel around his waist, and wide eyes.

Not caring about his attire, I ran at him and jumped on him. He staggered back and held me up with one hand, using the other to hold his towel.

"Ponyboy, I got in!" I shouted as I squeezed my arms tightly around his neck.

"What do you mean, darlin'?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"I got accepted! To Brown!" I practically yelled after loosening my grip to look him in the face.

"Oh my God, Lily, that's great!" he exclaimed and pulled me tightly to him.

"What's goin' on in here?" Darry asked as he walked out of his room. Soda came from the living room.

"I got accepted to Brown!"

"Congratulations, Lily-flower", Soda laughed. Pony put me down and scurried into his room to get dressed, so I hugged Soda, then Darry.

After a minute or so, Pony came back out of his room and kissed me gently before tilting his head down quite far so he could rest his forehead on mine.

"You got in", he whispered.

"I got in", I agreed with a smile.

When we pulled away, I looked up into his green eyes. That was when the situation hit me full force. Not the specifics like what I would be majoring in or where the school was or what it was called. Just the general fact that I was going to college.

"I'm going to college", I whispered, almost in disbelief. "I'm going to college, Ponyboy."

He and his brothers laughed and he squeezed me tightly. "You're goin' to college, darlin'. I knew you'd get it. I just knew it."

"Did you really think you _wouldn't_ be goin', doll?" Soda laughed. "You're like the next Einstein."

"I wouldn't say _that_ ", I laughed with a slight blush.

"Name all of Henry the Eighth's wives in order", Darry told me.

"What?"

"Just do it."

"Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr", I said. "Why?"

"See?" Soda exclaimed with a laugh. "You _are_ a genius."

I would have continued arguing with him, but I knew that I would never win, so I just dropped it.

"Fine, I'm a genius", I laughed as I rolled my eyes.

"Haha!" Soda yelled triumphantly, throwing a fist in the air. "I win!"

"Whooptie friggin' do" I said sarcastically.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now", Soda said. I made a mad dash to get away from him, but he caught me, picked me up, and dropped me on the couch, where he proceeded to tickle me, Pony and Darry soon joining along.

"Stop it!" I yelled through giggles. "Uncle! Uncle!"

They finally stopped and I lay there on the couch trying desperately to catch my breath.

"I love you", Pony offered with a smile, sitting down next to me and pulling me onto his lap.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "I love you too."

The next day on the walk to school, I told Ashlynn the news. A week after that, there was a similar ordeal, but with Pony as the protagonist instead of me.

I left my house and was immediately tackled by my boyfriend. He pulled me flush to him, picked me up, and spun me around.

"Hey, honey", I greeted with a laugh. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

Ashlynn was standing on the sidewalk behind Pony with an amused smirk on her face. Her expression told me "Just wait".

Pony put me down, but not all the way, so I was still standing on tip-toe. His face was stretched into a wide smile worthy of Sodapop or Two-Bit.

"I got my acceptance letter to Princeton, darlin'. I'm goin' to Princeton! On a full ride!"

"Oh my God, Pony!" I exclaimed and squeezed him. "That's amazing!"

"We did it, Lily", he whispered in my ear after nuzzling his head in my neck.

"We did it", I agreed with a smile.

"Would I be ruining the moment by asking if I could join in?" Ashlynn asked with a laugh.

I turned to her and waved her over. She joined Pony and I in a hug and I tightly gripped her around the waist with my left arm, my right circling around Pony's middle.

XxXxXxXxXx

The night before Two-Bit and Soda had to leave, we had a small party at the Curtis' house with the gang and the girls. Evie and Steve left Andrew with Ms. Young so they could come over alone.

We had all visited the cemetery on Johnny's birthday, and Soda and Ashlynn went by themselves one day to go to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis's graves.

We had dinner and the famous Curtis chocolate cake before sitting around the living room and talking. Two-Bit we insisted we all play one last game of truth or dare before they left.

Many interesting things were learned, including, but not limited to: Two-Bit had once gotten a broken nose from getting hit in the face by a girl whose skirt he had flipped up and Soda had stitches in his head from an incident where he and Darry had been wrestling in the house and the former had hit his head on the corner of the coffee table.

"Lily, truth or dare?" Evie asked.

"Truth."

She thought for a moment. "Umm…when did you first know you liked Pony?"

Everyone else either faux-gagged or made kissy faces at me after this was asked.

"When I knew I had a crush on him or when I knew I loved him?" I asked for clarification, even though my face was tinted red.

"Hell, why not both?" Evie laughed.

Realizing that I had just dug myself into an even deeper hole, I sighed deeply and leaned my head on my boyfriend's shoulder.

When I first realized that I had a crush on Ponyboy was about a week or two into freshman year. He walked me home from school every day, which I found incredibly sweet.

I had been doing my math homework for over an hour and decided that I needed a break, so I put down my notebook and walked over to my bookshelf. As I scanned the spines, one caught my eye: a little picture book of Cinderella's fairy tale.

I pulled it off the shelf and lay on my stomach on my bed, flipping it open. It had been my favorite book when I was little and I had made my parents read it to me every night before I went to bed. The thought of a handsome fairy-tale prince sweeping me off my feet was one that ran through my head quite frequently as a child. Even then I was a hopeless romantic, I guess.

It didn't take me long to get through the entire thing, maybe 5 minutes at the most, and after, I started to daydream.

 _What would my Prince Charming be like?_ I thought. I had always thought about the person just as a thing whenever I had thought about it, not as an actual person with traits and a personality. I had never thought of someone _real_.

A list started forming in my head.

 _He has to be kind and sweet. And he's gotta be smart. I need someone that I can hold an intelligent conversation with. He has to be humble, chivalrous, respectful, and caring. He can't be self-centered or arrogant and he can't be a bad boy. I'm not looking for Dallas Winston._

My thoughts stalled there, and I couldn't put my finger on why, though they got back on track fairly quickly.

 _I'd prefer if he was taller than me and had eyes that weren't brown, even though it's not like there's any controlling that…_

A figure suddenly started to form in my mind piece by piece. When the image in my head of what I thought of as my Prince Charming was finally complete, it shocked me.

It was Ponyboy Curtis.

I backtracked in my thoughts. _Why did Ponyboy show up as my Prince Charming?_

 _You know exactly why_ , my thoughts seemed to answer. And although I tried to deny that, I knew it was true. He was everything that I had listed. Smart, kind, sweet, chivalrous. He was even taller than me and had green eyes.

My stomach dropped a little before some butterflies started to form.

There was no denying it; I had a crush on Ponyboy Curtis.

Of course, I didn't relay this entire tale to the group. I shortened and made it vaguer.

"A few weeks after school started in ninth grade, I just realized he was everything that I wanted in a guy", I answered with a blush.

"And when you knew you loved him?" Evie asked.

"After he ran away", I said quietly. "I wanted him back with me and missed him more than I had ever missed anyone in my life. I guess that's when I knew." Pony pulled me close to him and gave me a soft kiss on the crown of my head.

"Well, ain't that just the sweetest thing you ever heard", Two-Bit said with a chuckle.

"Damn right it is", Pony muttered into my hair.

"C'mon, y'all" Soda exclaimed. "Let's get the radio on. Maybe there'll be some groovy song on."

"Sodapop, please don't use that word", I pleaded.

"What? Groovy?"

"Yes! That one!"

"Why not?" Ruth asked.

"Because I despise it with the burning passion of a thousand suns", I retorted.

"Well, then", Steve laughed. "I guess we shouldn't say it."

Then he and Soda both screamed out "GROOVY!", resulting in me feeling a very strong urge to smack them both upside the head. Luckily, Evie and Ashlynn beat me to it.

"Ouch!" Soda yelped as he rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?"

"You know damn well what that was for, Pepsi-Cola", Darry told him with a smirk.

And with that, Soda stuck his tongue out at his older brother and turned on the radio.

One of the first songs that came on was "Pony Time" by Chubby Checker, which absolutely killed me when I looked at my boyfriend. I was laughing so hard that I started crying.

"Oh, c'mon. Really, darlin'?" he asked. "I had to go through this enough when that song came out."

"I'm sorry, honey. I just can't help it", I laughed and buried my head in his chest.

"You're lucky I love you", he said, but started laughing too.

"I love you too", I told him.

Even after the song ended, I still needed a few minutes to compose myself, but once I finally did, I was alright.

We all just talked while the radio played. I wasn't really listening to songs very closely, but I noticed songs by artists like The Beatles, Johnny Cash, The Mamas and the Papas, and The Beach Boys playing.

When the first few notes of "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison rang out, I started to hum along to it like I every other time I heard it. Ponyboy and Two-Bit seemed to have other plans. As though they had some telepathic connection, they both looked at each other, and pulled Rachel and I up from our seats.

"What are you doing?" I questioned Pony with a laugh.

He didn't answer, but started dancing me around and when Van Morrison started singing, my boyfriend did too, albeit quietly and just to me.

"Hey where did we go?

Days where the rains came.

Down in the hollow, playin' a new game.

Laughin' and a-runnin, hey, hey.

Skippin' and a-jumpin'.

In the misty morning fog with

Our hearts a-thumpin' and you,

My brown-eyed girl.

You, my brown-eyed girl."

Pony looked right into my eyes during those last two lines. Suddenly, I realized what they were doing. Pony and Two-Bit were dancing with Rachel and I because we were their actual "brown-eyed girls".

It was awfully cute and caused me to start blushing and giggling a bit. I could hear Rachel and Two-Bit's loud, joyous laughter from a few feet away and couldn't help but smile.

During the "Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da" part, I turned to look at the rest of the gang, only to find Ruth standing up behind Darry as she forced him to wave his hands up in the air to the beat as though he were a little kid. He was laughing and telling her stop, though we knew he didn't really mean it since he wasn't pulling away.

XxXxXxXxXx

The next day, Soda and Two-Bit had to leave. All of us were at the bus station. We had all taken the day off, and even my family, Rachel's family (who I hadn't seen in years and consisted of her parents and sister, Mary), and Mrs. Young were there. Ms. Mathews was sobbing along with Lizzie and Rachel. Rachel wouldn't let go of her boyfriend and he was rubbing her back and whispering soothing words into her ear.

Ashlynn was latched onto Sodapop as well, sobbing into his chest.

"I know, sweetheart", he muttered in between kisses pressed to her forehead. "It's okay."

The early-spring sunlight bounced off of the new ring on her finger and made patterns of light on the sidewalk. It was a promise ring like the one Pony had given me but gold and with a small cubic zirconia on it. He promised her that after he got home, they would get married.

Ponyboy hugged me to him and rocked me back and forth as we stood. My face was buried in his chest and I was trying to focus myself on anything but reality; trying to disembody myself. But it wasn't working. I was feebly attempting to hold myself together, but all it resulted in were silent tears streaming down my cheeks, the occasional hiccup and sniffle, and a blasting headache.

My mom was tearing up as she tried to console Ms. Mathews, but to no avail, which was understandable. Her son was going off to war and quite possibly never coming back. I felt that her distress was justifiable.

The gang was an absolute mess.

Evie was coddling Andrew close to her chest as she cried. Andrew started crying too, his reaction triggered by everyone else's.

Steve was trying to keep a stiff upper lip, but his eyes were filling up with tears. His hand was clasped tightly with his wife's.

Darry was going right along with him, with a blank expression on his face, but a wobbling lower lip and glassy eyes as well. Ruth was right next to him, resting her head on his arm.

The second Ashlynn left Soda's side to embrace me, Darry and Steve both attacked him and instantly started bawling. It was rough to see two men absolutely breaking at the possibility of losing even more family. They usually put on his tough, larger than life persona, but at that moment it absolutely collapsed. It was like a row of dominoes; once one was knocked over, all the others fell too.

Ashlynn's arms crushed my waist in a vise grip, but I ignored it and hugged her tightly. I felt Pony move from behind me and looked up to see him joining the group huddle that the boys had made. Rachel came over to Ashlynn and I after a moment, leaving Two-Bit to join the boys as well.

It suddenly occurred to me that that was the entire Curtis gang. It was crippled and broken, but it was there nevertheless, holding itself up. One of the many reasons that I hoped neither Two-Bit or Sodapop died in the war was that the gang was holding on by a frayed thread. If anything else happened, it would immediately snap.

Soon, everyone joined into one big huddle around Soda and Two-Bit. Nobody said anything. We all just stood there, holding each other and crying.

"Hey, why're we all cryin'?" Two-Bit said, though he was speaking through tears of his own. "We'll be back before you know it and you'll wanna get rid of us."

The group let out a weak laugh.

"Keith, your jokes are gettin' worse and worse as time goes on", Lizzie said with a slight smile.

"You know it, sis."

There were only a few minutes before the bus would come. Soda and Two-Bit would be taken to the airport and brought over to Fort Jackson in South Carolina for a few weeks before being shipped off thousands of miles away to Vietnam.

The huddle dispersed and Two-Bit took Rachel's hand and spoke in an even louder voice than usual.

"Look, I know this's the crappiest damn situation possible, but I want you to listen to me, Rachel. I love you and I know it's gonna be hard, but we're gonna make this work. When I get back- and I'm gonna come back- you and me're gonna live a hell of a life together. Okay?"

She nodded at him as tears poured down her cheeks.

"So, Rachel", he began, sliding down to one knee on the ground and keeping her hands in his, "before I leave, I gotta ask you a question. Whaddya say to marryin' me?"

Everyone gasped, including Rachel. She sunk down onto the ground next to him and held his face in her hands as she nodded slowly, deliberately. "Yes."

She pulled his face to hers in a kiss while we all cheered.

After a minute or so, the newly engaged couple stood back up and hugged each other tightly.

Our celebration didn't last long, though, because shortly after Two-Bit proposed, the bus arrived.

The mood instantly plummeted and we started to cry again. Sodapop and Two-Bit came around and hugged each of us tightly.

I was sobbing into my hand with Pony's arm holding me tight when Two-Bit came over.

"C'mon, doll, you don't gotta cry", he smiled mournfully, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You don't need ol' Two-Bit with you. You're a big girl."

"Keith, you're like my brother", I whispered through my tear-filled voice as I hugged him. "Of course I need you."

He pulled away slightly and patted my cheek affectionately. "Well, whatever happens, you'll always be as much of my kid sister as Lizzie is. You got that, kid?"

"Yeah", I muttered with a nod.

Two-Bit pulled me into another tight hug before pulling away and kissing my forehead. "I'll miss you, Lily."

"I'll miss you too, Two-Bit", I told him and gave his cheek a chaste kiss.

He smiled at me before moving on to Ponyboy.

The cycle continued until Soda got to me, causing me to burst into yet another round of tears.

"Oh, Lily-flower", he cooed as he wrapped me up in his arms. "It'll be okay. It'll all be okay."

"No, it won't, Soda. You and Two're goin' to fight in this damn war and you may never come home."

"Look at me, doll", he said and tilted my chin up slightly. "We'll be fine over there. We'll get through. While we're over there, you shouldn't be woryin' about us. You're goin' to Brown. You'll be studyin' hard and doin' great things. You gotta take care of Ashlynn and Pony, though. You think you can do that?"

"Yeah."

"Good", he smiled. "You'll always be my first and only kid-sister and you're the best one I could ever ask for. We all love you, doll."

"Thanks, Soda", I smiled a little through my tears.

"There's that smile", he beamed in typical Sodapop fashion, though his eyes were tired. "I'll make sure to write y'all as much as I can and remind that dufus over there to too."

I laughed a little and hugged him tighter.

"I'm gonna miss you, Soda."

"Same here, Lily-flower", he sighed and leaned his head down slightly to kiss my cheek.

Only a few minutes later, everyone had been said goodbye to and Sodapop and Two-Bit were climbing onto the bus.

"I love you", Ashlynn sobbed, reaching up to hold Soda's hand through the window. Rachel was doing the same with Two-Bit.

"I love you too, sweetheart", he smiled sadly at her as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'll be home before you know it."

The bus started up and Soda gave Ashlynn's hand a final squeeze before letting go, Two-Bit following suit.

"I love y'all", they both called to us before the bus started to move, driving down the road.

We all blew kisses and shouted our goodbyes until the bus could no longer be seen.

Immediately, Ashlynn, Pony, and Rachel all completely broke. They were shattered.

Rachel's family and Ms. Mathews and Lizzie rushed to her side as I rushed to Ashlynn and Pony's.

The three of us sat on the ground. Ponyboy was sobbing into my right shoulder as Ashlynn was bawling into my left. I was crying too, but trying to keep it under wraps for their sake.

Ms. Young came over after a minute and held Ashlynn to her, leaving me with just Pony.

His crying was heart-wrenching with sharp sobs and inhales that I knew were going to make his throat feel like hell later. His entire body shook and trembled under my touch and his arms were wrapped around my waist in a python-like grip.

"Shh", I cooed into his ear. "Shh, baby. I know. I know. It's okay. They'll be okay."

After a while at the bus stop, and probably looking absolutely insane, we all went home. The second I was alone in my room, I burst into tears and sunk to the floor with my back to the wall and my hand covering my mouth, muffling my sobs.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.

"Yeah?" I asked in a scratchy voice.

"You okay in there, Gracie?" I heard Dad's voice ask.

"Yeah", I responded. "I'm okay."

I guess I didn't sound very convincing, because he didn't go away.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure", I told him, standing up shakily and opening the door.

"Oh, sweetheart", he sighed and pulled me into his chest, where I continued to cry. "I'm so sorry."

I cried until I felt like I couldn't cry anymore.

"This damn war's takin' all our boys", Dad said. "and it breaks my heart to see all these boys gettin' torn away from their families, especially Ponyboy's, but Sodapop and Two-Bit'll be okay. They're good men. They'll get through."

I simply nodded.

 _They'll get through_ , I told myself in an attempt at convincing my own thoughts. _They'll get through._

 **Hello, my good people! I'm sorry this chapter was sad at the end, but it was what felt right to write. I'll try to update fairly regularly, but school takes up a lot of my time. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**

 **PS- "gigola" is "lily" in Italian**


	16. Chapter 16

Ponyboy's POV

A couple weeks after Soda and Two-Bit left, I decided that it was the right time to ask Lily's family for their blessing to marry her. They were really important to her and I wanted to make sure that I got their blessing before proposing.

I got off of work and rushed over to her house. She wouldn't be home until seven o'clock, but I wanted to make sure she didn't find out. I knew both of her parents would be there, along with Anna and Henry.

When I knocked on the door, my palms were covered in sweat. I wiped them off on my jeans and took a deep breath as the door opened.

"Hello, Ponyboy", Mrs. Smith smiled. "Are you here for Lily? Because if you are, she's at work."

"I know, ma'am", I nodded, wiping my hands on my jeans again. "I actually came to talk to y'all."

"Come on in, then", she said as she ushered me through the doorway and closed the door behind us. Mr. Smith, Anna and Henry were all sitting on the couch watching T.V.

"Ponyboy has something he wants to talk to us about", she told everyone.

Anna and Henry got up to leave, but I quickly stopped them. "No, don't go. I wanna talk to y'all too."

They looked at each other, then me, before sitting back down. Mrs. Smith sat on the arm of the couch next to her husband.

"You can sit down, you know, Ponyboy", Mr. Smith laughed. "The chair won't bite."

I chuckled nervously and lowered myself down onto one of the chairs that faced the couch from the opposite wall.

It was obvious that Anna and Henry were anxious about the conversation. They probably thought that I had found out about something they had done and was going to throw them under the bus.

"So whaddya wanna talk about?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Umm…", I stuttered. This was way harder than I had expected.

"Dear, if you need to tell us somethin', just say it", Mrs. Smith encouraged with a soft, motherly smile.

I just stared at them all with wide eyes.

"You okay?" Henry asked me.

"Yeah", I answered, letting out a shaky breath. "I just wanted to know if…I wanted to ask if…um…uh…"

"For Christ's sake, man, just spit it out!" Anna exclaimed, which I found pretty funny.

"Anna Katherine Smith!" Mrs. Smith chastised. "Don't speak like that!"

"No, it's fine", I laughed. "I've had worse things yelled at me by the gang."

"Go ahead and continue what you were saying, dear", Mrs. Smith told me.

"Well, I love Lily more than anything. She's everything to me and I can't imagine my life without her."

They nodded to encourage me to continue.

I took a deep breath. "I want…I want to know if I could have your blessing to ask her to marry me."

"Really?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Yes, sir", I said nervously. "I promise to love and protect her for as long as I live and I will never hurt her."

Mr. Smith took Mrs. Smith's hand and gave her a smile, which she returned. The twins looked like their faces were going to break off if they smiled any more.

"Yes, Ponyboy", Mrs. Smith said, getting up from the couch, pulling me up from my seat, and wrapping me up in a hug. "We would be honored to have our daughter marry someone as wonderful as you. There's no one we would rather have join the family."

The rest of the family quickly joined in the hug, surprising me. It shocked me so much that it took me a moment to respond.

"Mia figlia si sposerà!" Mrs. Smith exclaimed. "Lei si sposa!"

I looked at Mr. Smith for translation and he just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "She's the one that's fluent in Italian, not me."

"Oh, sorry, dear", Mrs. Smith laughed. "I didn't even realize that I did that."

"It's alright", I chuckled.

"I'm warning you now, Lily might do that. She might've caught onto my bad habit."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Smith", I assured her. "She already does. I'm used to it."

There were times that Lily got really frustrated and started spouting off in Italian or Spanish. It was actually really funny when I could understand it and I found it adorable. Once she got extremely frustrated while we studied for a math test and she cussed out the test in Italian, crumpled up the paper, threw it across the room, and muttered some things to herself (some in English, some in Spanish, and some in Italian) for a few minutes.

I stayed over there for a bit before making sure they all knew not to tell Lily anything and taking my leave.

As I walked home, I remembered when I told Soda that I had a crush on her. It was about a week after I had first met her and I got butterflies every time I saw her or talked to her or even thought about her.

He and I were in bed and I was supposed to be sleeping, but she was occupying my every thought.

"Soda", I whispered as I shook his arm. "Soda."

He groaned a little and stirred.

"Soda", I whispered a little louder.

"Mmm", he hummed sleepily.

"Can I talk t'you?"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes before opening them. He turned to me and leaned on his elbow. "Sure, Pony. Whaddya need?"

"Y'know that girl I've been walkin' home? Lily?"

"I guess so", he said. "You've talked about 'er."

"I…I think I like her", I muttered.

Soda's eyes widened and he sat up more. "You what?"

"I like her, Soda."

He grabbed me and hugged me tightly.

"Soda", I wheezed. "Can't…Breathe…"

"Sorry, Pony", he laughed quietly and let me go. "Are you sure? D'you really like her?"

"I dunno. I've never really liked a girl before."

"Well, let's talk it out then."

He sat up and turned on the small lamp on the bedside table before turning to me. "What do ya like about her?"

"She's real nice and smart. Almost anythin' you ask her, she can answer and she's sweet and funny. Glory, Sodapop, she's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen. She's got the prettiest brown eyes and her hair's that kind'a caramel-brown color that turns gold when the sun hits it just right. And her laugh is just…amazing. It's real contagious and can get loud, but it's just…her. She likes all the same things I do like books and movies and all that and we can spend hours just talkin' about them."

"Yeah, you've definitely got a crush on 'er, Pone. The way you just went on 'bout her…glory. You should just ask her out."

"I can't do that right now", I argued. "I've only known her a couple weeks. I'd look creepy and desperate if I asked her now."

Soda sighed. "You should prob'ly have her meet all us before you date 'er. We'd scare her off before you'd get a chance t'make a move."

An idea suddenly formed in my head.

"I got it!" I exclaimed and quickly lowered my voice when I realized how loud I had been.

"What?" he asked. "Whaddya got?"

"When I walked her home from school on the first day, I asked if she'd wanna see a movie sometime since we both like 'em. I could ask her if she wants to see one with me on some actual planned day and she can come over for dinner and meet y'all. Then I'll ask her."

"When d'you think you're gonna do it?"

"Her birthday's in a couple weeks. I could play it off like I'm takin' her out for her birthday. I'll have to get her somethin', though. What do girls like?"

Soda laughed. "Usually flowers, jewelry, chocolates; stuff like that."

"But if I give 'er the gift when I ask her out, it'll kinda be like a dating present, if that makes sense. I don't want it to be somethin' she'll throw away after a couple days or'll go stale."

"Jewelry?"

"Soda, you'n I both know we don't have that kinda money", I whispered so Darry wouldn't be able to hear from the other room.

"You don't gotta get her some huge diamond. There's this stone called cube of zercum or somethin' that looks like a diamond, but really ain't. It's less money too."

I thought about how much money I had saved up. It wasn't much since I hadn't gotten an allowance since Mom and Dad died, and even then, it wasn't much. I could probably scrap some up somehow. Two-Bit might give me a quarter or two and if I promised to do well in school and track, Darry might give me a few cents too.

I wasn't going to let Two-Bit or Dally steal the present for me. It needed to be something that I bought for her myself. I couldn't give her much, but I could give her my effort.

"That's a pretty damn good idea, Sodapop", I admitted after mulling it over for a minute or two.

"Good to know", he yawned. "Now go t'bed. G'night."

He lay back down on his side and was out within a minute.

The next day, I asked her about the movie and she told me that she would ask her parents. There was no response for over a week since she kept forgetting to ask them. I wasn't mad about it because, let's face it, I did the exactly same thing all the time.

About two weeks after I asked her, the phone rang as I was doing homework in my room. I assumed that it was just a junk call, so I ignored it until I heard Soda yell for me.

"Pony, your girlfriend's on the phone for you!" he screamed across the house.

I ran out of my room to the noise of almost the entire gang laughing and took the phone from Soda before ducking into the kitchen.

"Hi, Lily", I told her. "Sorry 'bout him."

"It's fine", she laughed a bit. "But I asked my parents and they said yes."

"That's great. So I'll pick you up tomorrow at four-thirty?"

"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow, Pony."

"See you tomorrow", I agreed before she hung up the phone. Since I was alone, I pumped my fist in the air triumphantly.

"Who the hell was that?" Dally asked when I walked back into the living room. He was lounging on the couch with a beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.

"My friend from school", I said. "Her name's Lily."

"Why'd she call you? Makin' a plan for a one-night-stand?"

I blushed and shook my head. "No, we're going out tomorrow. She's comin' over, so y'all can't be hoods."

"Hey!" Two-Bit exclaimed. "I ain't a hood! Just a delinquent."

"Same difference", I sighed.

"Darry'll straighten 'em out, Pony", Soda assured me with a small laugh. He and Steve had only gotten off from work a few minutes earlier.

"What'll I do?" Darry asked as he walked into the house and through to the living room.

"Your kid brother's bringin' home a girl tomorrow", Two-Bit told him with a mischievous smirk.

"Pony, you know you need t'focus on school", Darry chastised as he took off his tool belt. "You don't got time for a girlfriend."

"Darry", I said sternly and looked hard into his blue-green eyes in an attempt to show him how serious I was. "I'm bringin' her over tomorrow and then we're goin' out to the movies. Please don't ruin this for me. I really like her."

He studied at me for a while with a creased brow before finally relenting. "Fine. What do I need to do?"

"Just keep everyone in check. That's it."

Darry nodded in agreement and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

The next day, as planned, I went over to Lily's house at 4:30, only to be immediately confronted by her father. I hadn't even gotten fully through the doorway when he started interrogating me.

"How old're you, son?" he asked.

"I'm fourteen, sir", I answered nervously. "I turned fourteen in July, but was put ahead a year in school, so I'm in Lily's grade."

"What're you and my daughter goin' to be doing tonight?"

"We're going to my house to have dinner with my family. Then we're goin' to see a movie."

Mr. Smith leaned in and looked me straight in the eye. I noticed that his were blue- a clear ocean-blue that were the opposite to his daughter's.

"Lily's my oldest child; my oldest _daughter_. If you do anything to hurt her, and I mean _anything_ , I will personally make sure you can't ever walk again. Understood?"

I nodded with wide eyes and practically squeaked out my reply. "Of course, sir. I would never do anythin' to her. She's one'a my best friends." _Hopefully, she'll be more soon,_ I thought to myself.

Luckily, that was when Lily decided to come down the stairs. "Hey, Pony. You ready t'go?"

"Yep. After you, my lady", I smiled and gestured to the door.

"Why, thank you, fine sir", she played along and curtsied slightly.

Mr. Smith gave her her curfew and we started our walk to my house.

As we walked, I looked at her as I did ever yday.

She was wearing a pretty purple dress, a black sweater, and black shoes. There was a ring on her finger with a small fleur de lis on it. Her hair was wavy and the light from the sun was tinting it gold.

"You look pretty tonight", I said without really thinking about it.

"Don't I always look pretty?"

"No, I…I just-", I stuttered as I blushed heavily.

"I'm just kidding, Pony. No need to worry", she assured me with a laugh. "And thank you. I have to say that you look quite handsome too."

"Thanks", I muttered and looked up to find that we were already at my house. There was so much yelling and screaming from inside that I was sure Lily was going to book it out of there.

"Well, we're here", I told her.

"Let's go", she smiled and grabbed my arm, making the best kind of knot form in my stomach. "You're not scared, are you?"

"'Course not. I'm a man", I joked, puffing out my chest for emphasis. "We're not scared of anythin'."

"If you say so", she laughed.

I held out my arm, which she took.

"Ladies first", I insisted as I opened the door. What I hadn't thought about was since our ams were linked, when she walked in, she kind of dragged me in behind her, causing me to get hit by the door as it closed. Lily was laughing at me when Soda came up to us.

"Well lookie here", he said with a smirk before pulling Lily to his side. "I got myself a twin!"

It had never crossed my mind, but when I saw them next to each other, Lily and Soda looked a bit alike. They both had about the same color hair and eyes, though both her hair and eyes were darker than his.

"I'm guessin' you're Soda."

"The one and only", he smiled, leaning down and kissing her hand for dramatic affect. I felt jealousy surge in my chest, though I was happy that they seemed to be getting along. "And _I'm_ guessin' that you're Lily."

"You'd be correct", she told him with a small laugh before looking over at me.

"C'mon, Soda", I said as I hooked my arm back with hers. "Let's have 'er meet the others."

When we walked into the living room, Two-Bit and Steve were rolling around on the floor wrestling. Johnny and Dally were sitting on the couch and Darry was in his recliner with his face in the newspaper, seemingly not noticing the two people rolling around on the floor at his feet.

"Guys, this is Lily", I introduced when they all finally noticed that we were there (which took longer than it probably should have). "Lily, these're the guys."

"Hi, boys", she smiled. "It's nice to finally meet y'all."

I said each of their names as I pointed to them and everything seemed to be going well until Dally opened his mouth.

"Now, whadda we have here?" he drawled, walking over to us and putting an arm around Lily's shoulders. "A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be with a wimp like Pony here."

Jealousy burned in my chest again and I was about to growl at Dally to leave her alone, but she beat me to it.

Her eyes turned darker and you could almost see flames in them as she shoved Dally's arm off of her.

"No thank you", she snapped. "I'm not a thing; I'm a person. And I swear on all that's holy, if you call me a broad, I won't hesitate to hurt you."

We all just started at her in shock. She got scary when she was mad and there was something about the way that she talked that made you listen to her and take her seriously.

Two-Bit cracked his signature grin after a few moments and started to laugh, causing us all to do the same, though mostly because his laugh was so contagious.

"You got spunk, kid", Dally told her. "But if you wanna fight me…well, I wouldn't suggest that."

"I don't like to fight", she responded, "so I wouldn't fight you unless you pulled a stunt like _that_ again."

"Well, who's ready to eat?" Soda asked.

Everyone stormed the kitchen except for Lily and I.

"First of all", I told her, "that was amazing. I've never seen anyone talk to Dally that way. Ever. Second, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seemed real uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine."

"You should probably sit between me and Soda during dinner. That way, we won't have to deal with somethin' like that again and you get along with us best anyway so far."

"Sure", she agreed as we walked to the table. When we sat down, everyone began to eat.

"So, Lily, tell us about your family", Darry encouraged from across the table.

"Well, I have my younger brother and sister. They're twins and ten years old. And my mom and dad."

"You sure you're from this side of town?" Soda asked through a mouthful of food.

Lily and Darry both told him to chew with his mouth closed, causing us all to laugh.

"But seriously", Soda started again once he had swallowed, "you sure you're from the greaser side of town?"

"Yeah. Why?" she asked.

"Your manners're good and you just seem so… non-greaser-like."

"Well, aren't you eloquent", she laughed. "I've just never found any appeal in drinking or smoking and that kinda stuff. Besides, I know what alcohol can do to a person."

We all turned to look at her in concern.

"Do your parents…you know…?" Soda asked.

"No", she quickly replied as she shook her head. "I've had friends who've had alcoholic parents. I'm lucky enough to have parents that love me. Those're rare to find in these parts."

All of us let out a sigh of relief.

"Who's ready for cake?" Two-Bit asked enthusiastically.

The cake was taken out and cut into slices by Darry before being handed out to everyone.

"This is so good. Who made it?" Lily asked.

"Darry", I told her.

She seemed to think about this for a moment before she burst out laughing.

"What is it, Lily?" I asked, starting to laugh myself because of how contagious hers was.

Between laughs, she was able to tell me how she was thinking of Darry in a "kiss the cook" apron. I started laughing even harder and told the gang what she had said, causing them to laugh too.

Once we had all calmed down, I looked out of the window and saw that it was almost sunset. I patted my pocket to make sure the box with the necklace was there and turned to Lily.

"You wanna go outside and watch the sunset with me before we go to the movies?"

"Of course", she smiled. "I love sunsets."

I took her hand instead of looping our arms together and led her to the back steps. The butterflies exploded in my stomach at the feeling of her hand in mine. Hers was a bit smaller than mine and it was cold, but they fit together like puzzle pieces.

I opened the door for her and let her go outside and sit down first.

"Why do you always open door and stuff like that for me?" she asked, then seemed to realize that she had said it. "I'm not complaining. Just wondering."

"Mom and Dad engrained it into our heads from an early age to be respectful to women", I told her, smiling a bit at the thought of them.

"Your parents were smart people. You got that from them. Soda and Darry too. Which one d'you look more like?"

"Surprisingly, neither, really", I said with a shrug. "Soda looks like Mom but with Dad's eyes and Darry looks like Dad but with his own eyes. I guess I'm just that special."

"It doesn't matter", she said. "You're handsome either way. Just in different ways than you brothers."

My face turned a fiery red and I could feel it burning. "You really think so?"

"Yeah", she nodded with a slight blush of her own. "You're lucky you got seem nice genetics. Mine don't look too good."

I had no idea what she was talking about. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. Her eyes were the prettiest I had ever seen and her hair was tinted a red-ish gold in the light of the setting sun. She smiled with her eyes and whenever she smiled or laughed this little dimple appeared below her eye.

"That ain't true", I insisted. "You're beautiful and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"Really?" she asked as her eyes became shiny. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course. Whoever told you you weren't?"

"Can we talk about something else?" she asked. "The sun's starting to set."

She looked at the sky, and I did too for a bit, but for the first time I was more interested in looking at a person than the sunset.

She looked over at me and her eyes searched my face for a moment.

"Oh, I almost forgot", I said. "Happy birthday."

I took the box with the necklace in it out of my pocket.

"Pony, you didn't have get me anything. You don't need to spend any money on me."

"But I wanted to", I told her. "Besides, how many times do you turn fourteen?"

"Thank you", she said as I opened the box.

"Here", I instructed while taking out the necklace. "Lift up your hair and face the other way."

She did as I said and I put the necklace around her neck, which took a few moments considering I had never fastened a necklace before. When it was on, she dropped her hair and it flowed back down her back and ended at her waist.

"Really, Pony, thank you so much." She pulled me into a tight hug. I froze for a second in shock before cautiously wrapping my arms around her waist. Just like with our hands, we fit together like puzzle pieces. I was so nervous that I felt light-headed.

She pulled back and I looked at her for a moment, studying her face. I felt a tug in my stomach and without really realizing it, I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

I knew it was now or never, so I carefully took her hand.

"Lily", I started, my voice close to shaking, "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Shoot", she encouraged with a smile.

"I was wondering if maybe…I dunno…if you…", I stuttered.

"Pony", she giggled, "just spit it out already."

I took a deep breath before talking. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to be my gal."

She smiled widely. "I would love to be your girlfriend, Pony."

"Really?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, of course", she smiled.

My face felt like it was going to break in half because of how big I was smiling, but I couldn't have cared less.

I really looked at her lips for the first time and noticed how soft and pink they looked. I put one of my hands on her waist and the other one on her cheek and moved in closer. She did as well and before I knew it, we were kissing. I had never done it before and didn't know what to do, so I just went with my instinct. We didn't move much and we weren't making out; we were just kissing, but the amount of fireworks going off in my head made it feel like more.

Soon one of her hands rested on my shoulder while the other cupped my cheek.

We kissed for a little bit before pulling away and resting our foreheads together.

"That was my first kiss", I admitted.

"Mine too", she said. "How'd you get so good if you've never done it before?"

"I dunno", I laughed. "Just natural talent, I suppose."

She smiled and lay her head on my shoulder. I slipped my hand into hers and closed my eyes for a while, just taking everything in.

When we came back inside, my arm was wrapped around her waist, prompting the gang to start cheering and wolf-whistling.

"Pony and Lily sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then come babies in a baby carriage", Two-Bit and Soda sang.

"C'mon, guys", I groaned. "I just got her t'be my girl. I don't wanna scare 'er away yet."

"Pony, turn towards me", she whispered. I did as she said.

She stood up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine again, causing me to freeze for a second, but then regain control of my body and kiss back. This made the gang go wild.

"Let's go", she said once we broke apart. I probably seemed like I was drunk because of how awe-struck I looked, but I was too happy to care.

Lily POV

One day in early April, I was doing my homework at work since it was a slow day.

When I opened up my English notebook, a slip of paper fell out. I picked it up to find a note.

All that was written on it was "Prom?" in Ponyboy's handwriting. There was a sketch of a flower beside it.

I looked closer and saw that it wasn't just any flower; it was a lily.

A smile crept onto my face as I tore a sliver of paper out of my notebook and wrote "Of course" on it with a heart next to it.

The next day at school during first period English, I placed the piece of paper in front of my boyfriend.

He gave me a confused expression, causing me to laugh.

"Just look at it", I told him. "It's not gonna bite."

He flipped it over and read it before turning back towards me and giving me a kiss.

"Did you really think I was gonna say no?" I asked with a laugh.

"You never know", he shrugged with a smirk. "You might've already made plans to go with Henry."

I made a face. "Oh hell no."

Pony laughed as he pulled me to his side and kissed my temple.

 **Hey, guys! Sorry that it's taken me a while to update, but school's kept me busy. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner in comparison to the one than this one was to the last one (if that makes any sense). There are going to be a lot of big things happening in the next few chapters, I think, so be prepared. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**

 **P.S:**

" **Mia figlia si sposerà! Lei si sposa!"- "My daughter's getting married! She's getting married!"**


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, I asked Mom what I should wear since prom was two weeks away.

"I don't have any long dresses, so I think I might just wear my blue one", I told her.

"Your blue one?" she asked.

"Yeah. Y'know the one that I wore to Steve and Evie's wedding?"

"Does it even fit you anymore?"

"It should", I answered. "The last time I wore it, it did."

She creased her brow in thought for a moment before thinking of something and standing up. "C'mon."

"What?"

"C'mon", she repeated, this time gesturing for me to follow as she started walking to her and Dad's room.

I did as she said and followed her. When I walked in, she was opening up the closet.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"You'll see", she said, her voice muffled from being half-way in the closet.

I just rolled my eyes with a smirk and sat on her and Dad's bed with crossed legs.

"Are you tryin' to hide from me?" I asked her after a few minutes.

"Not this time, dear."

"Love you too, Mom", I laughed.

Eventually she took her head out of the closet and pulled out a large bag.

"What's that?"

"Open it up and you'll see", she said while laying it down on the bed.

I cocked an eyebrow at her and unzipped the bag, powder-blue tulle immediately bursting out.

"That's my prom dress", Mom told me before I could ask. "I know it's old and you might not like it or wanna wear it, but if you want, you can."

I pulled the dress out of the bag and looked at it more closely. It had a puffy skirt that was made out of tulle and had two tiers, each tear with U-shapes of white embroidery going around it. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, which had the same white embroidery going around the curve of each bump of the neckline and dripping down the torso. It was beautiful.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to wear it?' I asked.

"Of course", Mom smiled. "It's every mother's dream for her daughter to wear her prom dress or wedding dress."

"Thank you", I told her as I jumped up and gave her a hug.

"You're welcome, Peanut", she laughed. "Why don't you try it on to see if it fits."

My main concern was that the dress wouldn't fit, not because Mom was an inch or two taller than me, but because I had a much larger bust than her. When Madame Evelyn had measured me for my dance costumes about a month prior, she even said that I had "a figure like Marilyn Monroe".

But despite my apprehensions, I nodded and went into the bathroom, taking off my clothes and slipping on the dress. It was full length, and since Mom was taller than me, a little bit of it splayed out around me on the floor. Luckily, it had a corseted back, which meant that there was no definite bust size. There was the slight technical difficulty that I couldn't lace up the back myself.

"Mom!" I called. "Can you help me lace this up?"

Her footsteps became louder as she walked towards the bathroom and opened the door. "Turn around for me."

When I did, I felt tugging at my back and knew that she was lacing me up.

"You might wanna hold onto somethin'", she warned me.

I braced myself on the edge of the sink and felt her pull the laces even tighter.

"You think you're in"?" she asked.

"Pretty sure", I practically wheezed. I turned around and looked at her.

"Sei bella, gigila."

"Grazie, mamma."

XxXxXxXxXx

When the day of prom finally came, I took off work for that afternoon at the bookstore, but not for that morning to teach the girls. When they heard that I was going to prom, they all went wild.

"Is your dress pretty?" Virginia asked.

"Yes", I laughed. "Very pretty. It was my mom's when she was younger."

"What color is it?" Diana asked, practically bouncing up and down.

"Blue."

Isabella tugged on my skirt to make sure she had my complete and undivided attention and looked up at me with a serious expression. Her little brow was creased in thought and her blue eyes stared into my brown ones.

"Miss Lily?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Does it look like Cinderella's or Sleeping Beauty's dress?"

I laughed. "I'd have to say Cinderella's since it doesn't have sleeves and has a puffy skirt."

She nodded at me before going off to talk to Jane. The two of them were best friends and were practically inseparable.

"I feel kinda bad for you", Ashlynn told me as we walked home. She had stayed over at my house the night before and had painted my nails while she was there. They were now a rose-pink color. When I found out I was going to prom, she had yelled at me to grow out my nails so she could paint them.

"Why's that?"

"Your mom's gonna be takin' so many pictures, you're probably gonna be an hour late for the dance", she laughed.

"Can't wait", I told her sarcastically.

When I got in the house, I took a shower before going upstairs and starting to do some homework.

At about three o'clock, I heard the front door open and Mom greet someone. I assumed it was just the mailman, so I ignored it.

"Lily!" she yelled. "Come down here!"

"Coming!" I called back, rolling off of my bed and walking down the stairs as the blood rushed to my head. Sitting on the couch was Ruth.

"Hey", she smiled.

"Hey…", I said, dragging out the word in confusion.

"I'm here t'do your hair", she laughed. "You mentioned that you wanted it curled and I'm the only one with a curling iron, so here I am."

"Okay", I said. "Let's go into the bathroom."

Ruth nodded and followed me, plunging the curling iron into the outlet when we got in.

"So what're you thinkin' specifically for your hair?" she asked.

"I could do a braided thing to get my bangs out of my face and then you could curl the rest", I suggested.

"Sounds good", she said and lightly touched the curling iron. "I'd say you got a good five minutes 'fore this heats up."

I nodded and got to work, Dutch braiding the long bangs on either side of my head and tying them back so they looked a bit like a crown. After making sure they looked good, I sat down on the toilet (with the lid down, obviously) and Ruth started to curl my hair.

While she curled my hair, I stayed deathly still. I was terrified of getting burned with the iron, and the fact that I still remembered what it felt like to get burnt by falling embers in the church in Windrixville didn't help.

"You can breathe, y'know, Lily", Ruth laughed as she hairsprayed a curl.

"I know. I just don't wanna get burned."

"Making sure you don't get burned is my job. Just don't go flailin' your head around like a madwoman and we'll be good."

"Alright", I laughed.

Whenever she dropped a curl straight off the iron down and it hit my back, I stiffened a bit, then relaxed and took a breath. This caused Ruth to laugh a bit as she doused the curl in hairspray.

After a while, I heard Ruth put the curling iron on the counter and unplug it.

"You're done."

"How does it look?" I asked, swiveling around to face her.

"See for yourself", she smiled and gestured to the mirror.

I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror, seeing perfect loose ringlets falling over my shoulders.

"Thank you so much, Ruth", I told her as I tackled her in a hug.

"You're welcome", she laughed lightly and gave me a little squeeze before pulling back. "Now go get all gussied up. I ain't leavin' 'til you do."

"Okay", I smiled and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time until I got to my room where I pulled out all my makeup and sat down in front of the mirror.

I put on my regular skin-colored makeup and blush, then peach-colored and brown eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and mascara. I ran downstairs to quickly brush my teeth before running back up and putting on some light pink lipstick.

The clock on my bedside table read 5:30, so I went downstairs to get the dress.

"Oh, Gracie, you look beautiful", Dad sighed as he walked through the front door

"Thanks, Dad", I smiled.

Just then, Ruth and Mom came in from the kitchen. They both smiled widely.

"Time for the dress?" Mom asked.

"Yeah", I nodded.

She went into her and Dad's room to get the dress while Ruth led me upstairs.

"When's Pony comin' to pick you up?"

"About six, I think", I told her. "Pictures are gonna take a while."

She nodded with a smirk. "Oh, don't I remember that. I think I might've been late for the dance because of it."

Mom came up with the dress and lay it on my bed before looking at me. "You ready?"

"Yeah", I said with a smile, making a gesture with my finger. "Y'all can turn around. I can put the dress on by myself. Lacing it up is what I'm gonna need help with."

They turned around as I took off my jeans and T-shirt and slipped on the dress.

I held it up by clutching it to my chest. "Can you guys help me now?"

Mom and Ruth turned back around, and I looked over my shoulder at them since they were facing my back.

"Sure, Peanut", Mom said with a smile as she came over and started tightly lacing me up, causing me to grip the footboard of my bed. I could hear Ruth laughing from behind us.

"Oh, shut up", I laughed.

"Sorry."

"No, you'e not."

"Okay, fine, I'm not", she admitted.

"I knew it."

"You're all done", Mom told me.

I turned around towards her and Ruth. "How do I look?"

Mom's eyes were watering and her hands were clapped over her mouth.

"Mom", I whined with a laugh. "Don't cry. 'Cause if you cry, then I'll cry, and this makeup took a long time."

She and Ruth started laughing as well, but she started crying nevertheless.

"It's okay, Mom", I said, going over and giving her a hug.

"I know it's okay", she laughed in a thick voice. "You're just growin' up so fast. Just yesterday you were starting dance as a little two-year-old and now you're a beautiful woman going to prom and away to college. It's…it's just bittersweet."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetie", she said and kissed my cheek.

That was when the doorbell rang. I jerked back in fear before realizing what it was.

Ruth laughed. "That's probably Ponyboy. I'll go hold 'im off while you finish gettin' ready." She left my room and went downstairs.

Mom pulled back and heaved a deep sigh before giving me a watery smile. "I'll go down too. I'll see you in a few minutes."

She left, and like that, I was all alone in my room.

Voices could be heard downstairs and I felt my stomach clench in anxiety.

I slipped on the silver heels that Evie had given me for Christmas, put on the necklace and promise ring that Pony gave me, and grabbed my clutch and grey sweater.

"Lily!" Dad yelled. "C'mon! Your boyfriend's down here waitin' for you!"

"Coming!" I called down before leaving my room and walking down the stairs.

Everyone was in the living room. Darry and Ruth were standing by the wall, Steve and Evie were sitting on the couch trying to get some giggles out of their son with the help of Anna and Henry, and Ashlynn was talking to Rachel.

Ponyboy was talking to my parents at the bottom of the stairs, but when he heard me coming down, he looked up at me. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I looked at him in curiosity, wondering if he was ever going to talk.

"You look beautiful", he told me, taking my hand.

"Thank you", I said. A dark blush was raging across my face. "You look handsome."

He was wearing a black tuxedo with a green tie that matched his eyes and dress shoes. The tux looked a little big on him, so I assumed it had been Darry's. His hair was perfectly greased back. Even if the tuxedo was a hand-me-down, he looked handsome in it.

"Thanks, darlin'", he smiled before seeming to remember something and taking a little box out of his coat pocket. Inside the box was a corsage with a pink rose and baby's breath.

"I got you this. I know it doesn't match your dress, but-", he started, but I cut him off.

"It's perfect", I assured him, putting my hand on his cheek.

He smiled at me and kissed the palm of my hand before taking out the corsage and putting it around my wrist. There were some camera flashes that I could see out of the corner of my eye, but my eyes stayed on my boyfriend.

He tugged on his lip with his teeth in his concentration while tying the corsage around my wrist and when he finally did it, he brought his face back up and looked at me with pride.

"Got it on", he smiled.

"Good job", I laughed before turning to Mom. "Can you please grab me the boutonnière from the kitchen?"

She smirked at me and held up the box that held the boutonnière. "This one?"

"Yeah", I laughed. "That one."

Mom rolled her eyes, but laughed as she handed the box to me.

I took out the boutonnière and carefully pinned it to his lapel. It had a red rose and baby's breath on it. Once again, there were camera flashes, but we ignored them.

"It's time for pictures!" Mom exclaimed gleefully. "Let's do them in here."

Pony and I looked at her, then each other, then back at her.

"Where do you want us?" I asked.

"Go to that wall", she directed, pointing to the wall with the fireplace.

We went over and Darry and Ruth moved out of our way. He was holding a camera as well.

"You takin' pictures too, Darry?" Pony asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you bet. Can't not take pictures of my kid brother's prom", Darry said with a smile.

"You sure you don't wanna let Rachel take 'em? She's goin' to college for this kinda stuff."

"I'm goin' to college for journalism", she laughed. "They're teachin' me how to write a news story, not how to be a professional photographer."

"And _I'm_ gonna be the one takin' your photos", Darry insisted, a teasing undertone in his voice. "Mom 'n Dad took mine, so now I gotta take yours."

Darry, Steve, and Pony's eyes all flicked to the ceiling for a moment when Darry said that and Pony nodded.

The two of us went and stood by the wall, facing the camera.

"Anything you want us to do in specific?"

"Whatever feels right", she shrugged before her and Darry hid back behind their cameras.

Suddenly, I felt Pony's arm around my waist. I turned my head to the right to look at him and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey yourself", he smirked.

"How bad was everyone while you were gettin' ready?" I asked as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Me and Darry were the only ones home, but he was goin' crazy", he laughed breathily. "Darry's the only one that knows how to tie a tie, but I tried to teach myself for a good fifteen minutes before I gave up."

"And how'd those attempts go?"

"Let's just say I almost permanently knotted the tie."

I laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Gee, thanks", he chuckled with a roll of his eyes.

"No problem", I smirked. "And I like that tie on you. It matches your eyes."

"Thanks. It was Dad's."

"He had very good taste in fashion then."

"I'm pretty sure Mom made 'im buy it", Pony laughed. "He didn't like ties much."

"Well, then your _mom_ had impeccably good fashion sense", I joked.

"Sorry to break up whatever moment y'all are havin', but your mom wants t'get pictures of y'all facin' each other, doll", Steve interrupted with a smirk.

"Okay, okay", I laughed as I turned to my boyfriend.

"Whaddya want us t'do?" I asked.

"Just look like you're in love", Ashlynn told us.

"Like that's gonna be hard", Pony muttered, making me laugh.

"What should we do?" I whispered to him. I was honestly blanking on ideas for poses.

"Maybe somethin' like this…", he said, leaning down and kissing me.

I smiled into the kiss and pulled away after a little bit, looking up at his face and putting my arms around his neck. "You're still too tall."

"Darlin', you're wearing heels", he chuckled. "You're fine. Besides, you're just the right height."

"You said that back when we were fourteen before you hit your growth-spurt", I pointed out. "If I was just the right height then and there was only about a four-inch difference, how am I still just the right height now when there's a ten-inch difference?"

"Because", he started, looking down at me and wrapping his arms around my waist, "no matter what happens, or how old we get, or what changes, you'll always be perfect to me."

A hot blush reddened my cheeks, but I held my ground and kept my eyes locked on his.

"I love you", I said softly.

"I love you too", he smiled, kissing my forehead. "And I always will."

That was when there was a little squeak.

Pony and I both jumped and looked over to see Andrew babbling on Evie's lap.

"Hey, sweetie", I cooed.

He squealed and giggled, causing all of us to do the same.

"I think he wants t'get in on the action", Steve laughed. "Makes sense since we didn't go to prom when Evie was pregnant with 'im."

"We were plannin' a wedding", Evie laughed.

"Who's holdin' you?" I asked Andrew and pointed to Evie, obviously not expecting an answer. "Who's that?"

Andrew turned towards her and looked at her for a while. He reached out and grasped her hair and face.

"Well, hello to you too", Evie laughed. "Can you say 'Mama'? 'Mama'?"

He started babbling again and blew a few bubbles, but didn't say any words.

"We're bettin' on whose name he's gonna say first", Steve told us. "What d'y'all think?"

"Mama", almost all of us said.

Steve put a hand to his heart in faux offense. "Excuse me, but I happen to think he'll say 'Dada' first."

"Lily and Henry said 'Mama' first", Mom told him. "Anna said 'Dada' first, though."

"My mom told me that I said 'Mama' first too", Ashlynn said.

"Mom said that me and Soda both said 'Dada' first", Darry laughed. "Pony was the only one to say 'Mama'. He was definitely a mama's-boy, though, so it makes sense."

"Like I was any more of a mama's-boy than you and Soda were", Pony rolled his eyes at his oldest brother.

"C'mon, y'all", Steve whined. "I lost the bet before he was born when I thought he was gonna be a girl. Can't you let me win this one?"

"Oh my God!" Mom exclaimed. "It's six fifty-five! You gotta get movin'!"

Pony and I simultaneously looked at the clock on the wall and saw that she was correct.

"C'mon, honey, let's go", I said, grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"I haven't even told you if I'm drivin' us", Pony laughed.

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

"How's Darry gonna get home then?"

"Him and Ruth're goin' on a date and'll walk home."

"Are you sure you don't wanna use the car, Darry?" I asked.

"Naw", he answered with a shake of his head. "It's alright. 'Sides, how embarrassing would it be if I drove y'all to your senior prom? Go ahead and have fun."

I gave him a smile. "Bye, y'all!"

"Bye!", they all chorused back, except for Andrew, who let out a high-pitched squeal.

We walked out to the truck and Pony opened my door for me.

"Why, thank you, kind sir", I said in a pitiful posh accent.

"The pleasure is all mine, my good lady", he said in a similar tone with a smirk as he climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door.

XxXxXxXxXx

When we got to the school, people were filing into the building. All of the Soc girls had domes of hair on their heads and dresses in yellows, pinks, blues, and greens. Their straps were thick on their shoulders or long and down to their wrists. They made me self-conscious of the fact that my dress was strapless. The few greaser girls that were there all had dresses that weren't formal in the slightest and were very short. Even so, I was the only one that I could see with a dress that wasn't fairly new or didn't have straps. It was like I was caught in the middle.

I pulled up the top of my dress to make sure it wasn't sliding down and crossed my arms over my chest. My hands were starting to get clammy.

"Darlin', you're fine", Pony whispered as he carefully moved one of my hands away from my chest and held it in his.

"Is my dress sliding down? I feel like it's sliding down."

"You're just fine", he assured me softly with a slight squeeze of my hand. "Your dress isn't slipping down. You look ten times more beautiful than any girl here. Everything's fine."

"I'm fine", I repeated, though mostly to myself.

"C'mon", he smiled and gave my hand a little tug. "Let's get in."

We went to the door of the gym and stood in the line of people, where Pony was congratulated by several people on getting first at track regionals the week before.

Since spring track had started up again, I went to as many meets and competitions as I could. Regionals were the week before prom and I had taken that day off of work to go to the meet with the gang. Pony had won first in almost every category there was and first overall and I had almost lost my voice from screaming so loudly.

After a while of waiting in line, we were called up by a volunteer teacher. The two of us stepped up and he handed the teacher our tickets and the teacher, whose name-tag read "Mr. Lloyd", handed them back after a moment.

"Have fun, kids", he said, before waving us away and yelling "Next!" to the following people in line.

The gym was decorated with streamers and balloons along the walls and there was a large table along the wall which held a punch bowl and several hundred disposable cups. People were mostly either talking by the walls or standing scattered around the room in pairs or small huddles. There was someone with music equipment in the corner of the room who was sitting with a newspaper as the students streamed in.

"You ready t'show off our dancing skills?" Pony teased as he pulled me closer, looking down at me with a smile.

"I'm sure there're other people here that know how to dance", I laughed.

"Sure, there probably are, but they're not as good as us", he smirked.

"You have quite the inflated ego, you know that?" I asked jokingly.

He laughed and kissed my temple. "That's why you love me."

After a while, the gym was finally full of people and the music had started to play.

I didn't know a lot of the songs, but there were a few that I was familiar with like "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto" by Elvis. There were also songs like "Sugar, Sugar" and "Bad Moon Rising", which I knew, but had no idea who sang them.

Ponyboy was spinning me around excessively during every song, whether it was fast or slow. I was dizzy and stumbling around, but I was laughing so hard that my stomach ached.

"Stop", I whined between laughs. "I'm gonna start cryin'."

"Fine", he sighed with a smile and hugged me close to him.

I lay my head on his shoulder and smiled as I wrapped my arms around his middle.

That was when "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers started to play. I shifted myself in his arms and put my arms around his neck while his went around my waist. I started humming along to it as we swayed back and forth and after a little bit I started to sing along quietly so no one but us could hear.

"Oh, my love,

My darling.

I've hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time.

And time goes by

So slowly.

And time can do so much.

Are you still mine?

I need your love.

I need your love.

Godspeed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea.

To the open arms of the sea.

Lonely riverside, wait for me.

Wait for me.

I'll be comin' home, wait for me…"

I continued to quietly sing and hum along until the song was over.

"You really are the best singer I've ever heard, you know that, darlin'?" Pony whispered in my ear.

"I could say the exact same thing about you", I told him with a smile.

He pulled his head back to look at me and kissed me.

I smiled into the kiss and ran the pad of my thumb along the back of his neck.

Suddenly, I heard someone loudly clear their throat. Pony and I tore ourselves apart and looked over to see Mr. Lloyd staring at us with an expression of disappointment and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Calm it down, you two", he told us. "We don't need y'all neckin' on the dance floor."

We turned tomato red and I sunk into myself a bit.

"Yes, sir", Pony said with a nod.

Mr. Lloyd studied us for a bit before curtly nodding and walking back to wherever he had come from.

"Were we neckin'?" Pony asked me. "'Cause I don't think we were neckin'."

I shrugged and lay my head back on his shoulder as we continued to sway and he did the same.

My feet were killing me after dancing for about three hours, but I danced through the pain as Pony and I swayed and danced around.

"You okay, darlin'?" he asked me at about 10:30.

"Yeah", I lied with a nod. "My feet just hurt a little."

He smirked a little and attempted to raise an eyebrow. "You're waddling. I don't think that really counts as okay."

"I'm _going_ to make it through the night in these", I insisted. "I refuse to take them off."

"Am I gonna have to carry you to the truck?"

"Possibly", I admitted. "But either way I'm keepin' these on."

He laughed and kissed my cheek.

XxXxXxXxXx

Not fifteen minutes later, I gave up my aspirations of wearing heels all night and slipped them off with a sigh of relish.

"Better?" Pony asked with a laugh.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Good to know", he smiled before pulling me back into his arms.

Since I had taken off my heels, the extra four inches of height they had given me were gone and I had to tilt my head up to look at my boyfriend's face.

His lips curved into a soft smile and he kissed my forehead.

"I love you", he whispered against my skin.

"I love you too."

A few minutes later, I excused myself and went to the bathroom (obviously putting my heels back on to do so). When I came back, my boyfriend was standing by the wall with a knowing smirk.

"What'd you do?" I asked.

"Oh, nothin'", he smiled as I took my heels off again and left them by the wall.

I arched an eyebrow at him and flattened out my skirt. "You look pretty damn mischievous for someone that didn't do anything."

"Just trust me, Princess", he said and held out his hand, which I took.

We continued to dance for another fifteen minutes or so before the man that was in charge of the music spoke into the shoddy microphone that I had used in the "Diary of Anne Frank" play. "This's gonna be the last one of the night, folks."

He moved around some things on his table and "Love Me Tender" started to play.

Ponyboy wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tightly to him. My arms went around his neck and I stood up on tip-toe to see him better.

"Is this what you did when I was in the bathroom?" I asked with a smile.

"Maybe", he said with a slightly shy grin.

"You're so sweet", I laughed lightly.

He just smiled at me, pulled me up a little higher so he could rest his chin on my shoulder, and starting to sing along along with the rest of the song.

"Love me tender, love me long.

Take me to your heart.

For it's there that I belong

And we'll never part.

Love me tender, love me true.

All my dreams fulfilled.

For my darlin', I love you.

And I always will.

Love me tender, love me dear.

Tell me you are mine.

I'll be yours through all the years.

'Til the end of time.

Love me tender, love me true.

All my dreams fulfilled.

For my darlin', I love you.

And I always will."

"I love you so much, honey", I told him.

"I love you too, darlin'", he whispered with a light kiss to my cheek. "And I always will."

Ponyboy's POV

After I got dressed in my tuxedo (which was really Darry's) and was ready, Darry and I got into his truck and drove to Lily's house. He had already told me that Ruth was already there so she could help Lily with her hair and Rachel would be picking up Ashlynn on the way to the Smiths' house. Steve, Evie, and Andrew were coming in their own car.

When we got there, I lightly touched my pocket to make sure that the corsage was there, which it was, before getting out of the truck with Darry and going up to the front door. He knocked on the door as I nervously straightened my tie.

"You're fine, Pony", he chuckled. "Your tie couldn't be any more straight if it was a ruler."

"Do I look alright?" I asked.

"You look fine, Pone."

"You sure? 'Cause she's gonna look amazing- well she always looks amazing, but she's gonna look even more amazing and do you think-", I rambled until he put a hand on my shoulder.

"You're fine", he said again, this time enunciating each word. "You're gonna be fine."

Just then, the door opened and Mrs. Smith popped out and beamed at us.

"Hello, boys. Do y'all wanna come in?" she asked. It was obvious that she wasn't trained to say "y'all", which made sense since she and Mr. Smith were from Boston. It sounded a little awkward when she said it, but it worked enough that it didn't sound like a crude imitation of a Southern accent.

"Hello, ma'am", Darry smiled lightly. "That'd be great, thanks."

She opened the door for us and led us into the living room, where everyone else had already arrived.

"What took you so long?" Steve asked.

"I had to make sure he didn't knot the tie into a ball", Darry explained, causing me to blush a bit.

"Don't worry about it, dear", Mrs. Smith smiled. "It's not like my husband really knows how to either. At our wedding, his mother had to do it for him."

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" Mr. Smith laughed as he wrapped an arm affectionately around his wife's shoulders.

"How could I when it makes for such a funny story?" she laughed.

"Oh, Ponyboy, could you come over here for a minute?" Mr. Smith asked.

I nodded and walked over to where he and Mrs. Smith were standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Just a question", he started, "but are you gonna propose tonight?"

"No, not tonight", I answered. "I'm already plannin' somethin' else."

"We're not tryin' to pry, dear", Mrs. Smith assured me. "We're just curious. Besides, we need to be prepared since she'll be screaming about it when she comes home afterwards."

"It's alright, ma'am", I told her. "It's no problem at all."

"Lily!" Mr. Smith called up the stairs. "C'mon! Your boyfriend's down here waitin' for you!"

"Coming!" I heard her voice yell back, making me smile.

"You excited for prom, Ponyboy?" Mrs. Smith asked me. She had the same eyes as Lily, though I obviously had a preference for my girlfriend's. They looked strikingly similar.

"Of course", I smiled. "It's supposed t'be the biggest one yet."

There was then the sound of clicking on the stairs and I turned to find that it was my girlfriend. My eyes widened and my jaw hit the floor.

She looked even more beautiful than usual (not to say that she didn't look incredibly beautiful every day). Her hair had been curled and the front parts were tied back. There was pink makeup on her eyelids, which made her eyes stand out, and she had light pink lipstick on. Her dress was light blue and reached the floor. There were no straps or sleeves, so her slightly-freckled shoulders and collarbones were visible. She had on the necklace that I had given her when I asked her to be my girlfriend and her promise ring that I gave her on our first anniversary. Her nails were a similar pink to her makeup.

She cocked her head a little at me when she got to the bottom of the stairs and a small smirk played on her lips.

"You look beautiful", I told her.

"Thank you", she smiled. "You look handsome."

I definitely didn't look as amazing as her, but I accepted her compliment nevertheless. "Thanks, darlin'."

Then I remembered the corsage in my pocket and pulled it out.

"I got you this", I told her. "I know it doesn't match your dress, but-"

"It's perfect", she cut me off gently and rested her hand on my cheek.

I smiled at her and kissed her hand before taking out the corsage and attempting to tie it around her wrist, which, admittedly, took a little bit because of my inexperience with tying small ribbons. Our families were taking photos all around us, but I remained focused on tying the ribbon tight enough for her small wrist.

After a while, I got it around her wrist and gave her a smile of triumph. "Got it on."

"Good job", she laughed and turned to her mother, asking for the boutonnière.

"This one?" Mrs. Smith asked with a smirk as she held up the box that held the boutonnière.

"Yeah. That one."

Mrs. Smith gave her daughter the box, which she opened and took the boutonnière out of before pinning it to my lapel.

"It's time for pictures!" Mrs. Smith called with a giddy smile. "Let's do them in here."

Lily and I looked at her, then back to each other, then back to her.

"Where d'you want us?" Lily asked.

"Go to that wall", her mom responded as she pointed to a wall that contained the fireplace.

Darry and Ruth went over to Mrs. Smith as we walked to the wall. I somehow hadn't noticed before, but Darry was holding a camera.

"You takin' pictures too, Darry?" I asked him.

"Oh, you bet. Can't not take picture at my kid brother's prom", he smiled.

"You sure you don't wanna let Rachel take 'em? She's goin' to college for this kinda stuff", I joked, knowing that she didn't learn that much about photography with her journalism major.

"I'm goin' to college for journalism", Rachel laughed. "They're teachin' me how t'write a news story, not how to be a professional photographer."

"And I'm gonna be the one takin' your photos", Darry said in a faux stern tone. "Mom 'n Dad took mine, so now I gotta take yours."

Him, Steve, and I all looked up at the ceiling as though my parents were up there and I nodded.

Lily and I stood by the wall and faced the cameras.

"Anything you want us t'do in specific?" Lily asked.

"Whatever feels right", Mrs. Smith shrugged as she and Darry hid behind their cameras.

I wrapped my arm around my girlfriend's waist, causing her to turn her head to look at me.

"Hey", she smiled.

"Hey yourself", I laughed.

She leaned her head on my shoulder. "How bad was everyone while you were gettin' ready?"

"Me and Darry were the only ones home, but he was goin' crazy", I laughed. "Darry's the only one that knows how to tie a tie, but I tried to teach myself for a good fifteen minutes before I gave up."

"And how'd those attempts go?"

"Let's just say I almost permanently knotted the tie."

"Why am I not surprised?" she laughed.

"Gee, thanks", I laughed as I rolled my eyes.

"No problem", she smiled. "And I like that tie on you. It matches your eyes."

"Thanks", I said. "It was Dad's."

"He had very good taste in fashion then", she laughed.

"I'm pretty sure Mom made 'im buy it", I chuckled. "He didn't like ties much."

"Well, then your mom had impeccably good fashion sense", she smiled.

"Sorry to break up whatever moment y'all are havin', but your mom wants t'get pictures of y'all facin' each other, doll", Steve said.

"Okay, okay", she laughed while turning to me. "Whaddya want us t'do?"

"Just look like you're in love", Ashlynn suggested with a shrug.

"Like that's gonna be hard", I said, causing Lily to laugh.

"What should we do?" she asked.

"Maybe somethin' like this…," I trailed off as I leaned down and kissed her. I could feel her smile against my lips and after a while, we pulled away and she looked up at my face while wrapping her arms around my neck.

"You're still too tall", she told me. Even in heels she was still noticeably shorter than me, though it would be hard for her not to be since she was only 5'4 and I was 6'2. She had always hated her height and how short she was, but I thought it just made her her.

"Darlin', you're wearing heels", I laughed. "You're fine. Besides, you're just the right height."

She looked at me unbelievingly. "You said that back when we were fourteen before you hit your growth-spurt. If I was just the right height then and there was only a four-inch difference, how am I still just the right height now when there's a ten-inch difference?"

"Because no matter what happens, or how old we get, or what changes, you'll always be perfect to me", I told her as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

Her face burnt a fiery red, but her eyes remained on mine.

"I love you", she said quietly.

"I love you too", I smiled and kissed her forehead.

Suddenly, there was a little squeak, which caused us to jump and look over at Andrew, who was cooing and squealing on Evie's lap.

Lily absolutely melted like she did every time she saw Andrew. "Hey, sweetie", she smiled.

Andrew had always loved her too, so it wasn't a surprise that he giggled when she talked. We all knew that she and Soda were his favorite "aunt" and "uncle" and we had come to accept that.

"I think he wants t'get in on the action. Makes sense since we didn't go to prom when Evie was pregnant with 'im", Steve laughed.

"We were plannin' a wedding", Evie pointed out with a laugh.

"Who's holdin' you? Who's that?" Lily cooed at Andrew and pointed to Evie.

Andrew followed her finger and looked up at his mother before touching her hair and face.

"Well, hello to you too", Evie laughed. "Can you say 'Mama'? 'Mama'?"

He cooed and drooled a little, but said nothing.

"We're bettin' on whose name he's gonna say first", Steve told us. "What d'y'all think?"

"Mama", almost all of us said.

Steve pretended to be offended. "Excuse me, but I happen to think he'll say 'Dada' first."

"Lily and Henry both said 'Mama' first. Anna said 'Dada' first, though", Mrs. Smith said.

"My mom told me that I said 'Mama' first too", Ashlynn said.

"Mom said that me and Soda both said 'Dada' first", Darry laughed. "Pony was the only one to say 'Mama'. He was definitely a mama's-boy, though, so it makes sense."

"Like I was any more of a mama's-boy than you and Soda were", I smirked.

"C'mon, y'all", Steve whined. "I lost the bet before he was born when I thought he was gonna be a girl. Can't you let me win this one?"

"Oh my God! It's six fifty-five! You gotta get movin'!" Mrs. Smith exclaimed.

Lily and I looked over at the clock and when we saw that she was in fact correct, she grabbed my hand and yanked me over to the door.

"C'mon, honey, let's go."

"I haven't even told you if I'm drivin' us", I laughed.

"Are you?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"How's Darry gonna get home then?"

"Him and Ruth're goin' on a date and'll walk home."

"Are you sure you don't wanna use the car, Darry?" she asked him.

"Naw. It's alright. 'Sides, how embarrassing would it be if I drove y'all to your senior prom? Go ahead and have fun."

We all said goodbye and the two of us walked over to the truck.

"Why, thank you, kind sir", Lily said with a proper accent when I opened her door for her.

"The pleasure is all mine, my good lady", I responded in a similar manner while climbing into the driver's side and closing the door.

A few minutes later we got to the school and while we walked to the building where everyone was going in, I saw Lily fidgeting with the top of her dress. She was yanking it up and crossing her arms over her chest. I looked around to see what could possibly be bothering her and noticed that she was the only girl that I could see with a dress that either didn't have straps of sleeves or wasn't new.

"Darlin', you look fine", I assured her as I carefully pried one of her hands out from under her arm and held it in mine.

"Is my dress sliding down? I feel like it's sliding down", she said like it was all one word.

"You're just fine. Your dress isn't slipping down. You look ten times more beautiful than any girl here. Everything's fine", I told her with a squeeze of her hand.

"I'm fine", she said to herself. Her other hand and arm lowered from her chest and stayed at her side.

"C'mon. Let's get in", I encouraged.

She smiled a little at me as we walked over to the gym doors and stood in line.

I was congratulated by lots of people for getting first in regionals for track the week before. Lily had taken the day off from work to come watch me at and I heard her even over the rest of the crowd because of how loud she was yelling. The next day her voice was hoarse and almost gone.

When finally got inside the gym, I turned to Lily and pulled her closer to me. "You ready t'show off our dancing skills?"

"I'm sure there're other people here that know how t'dance", she laughed.

"Sure, there probably are", I admitted, "but they're not as good as us."

She rolled her eyes and her lips tugged up into a smile. "You have quite the inflated ego, you know that?"

I kissed her temple with a laugh. "That's why you love me."

We danced to the music when it came on and occasionally hummed along to the ones that we liked.

I started spinning her around constantly no matter what song was on, causing her dress and hair to fan out around her and making her start laughing so hard that between spins she was doubled over in laughter.

"Stop", she wheezed. "I'm gonna start cryin'."

"Fine", I sighed teasingly and hugged her. She smiled as she put her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my middle.

When "Unchained Melody" started to play, I knew she was going to sing along. She had always loved that song and whenever it came on she would start singing along to it.

Her arms went around my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist as we started to sway and as expected, she started singing a moment later, albeit softly so only her and I could hear it.

Her singing had always made me smile. Her voice was soothing and sweet and could be get a little loud mattering on what she was singing, but it usually maintained a kind of wistful tone with a little Southern lilt. Every song was made as calming as a lullaby.

She didn't stop singing and humming until the song was over and when she did, I leaned down a little to reach her ear.

"You really are the best singer I've ever heard, you know that, darlin'?" I said into her ear.

"I could the exact same thing about you", she replied.

I pulled my face up to look at her and kissed her. Once again, I could feel her smile against my mouth as she ran her thumb along the back of my neck.

Much sooner than I would have liked, someone loudly cleared their throat, causing us to break apart. We turned to see the teacher that had checked our tickets earlier.

"Calm it down, you two", he said sternly, "We don't need y'all neckin' on the dance floor."

We blushed and I saw Lily shrink down a little. I was kind of mad at him for thinking we were "necking". We weren't even making out; just kissing.

"Yes, sir", I nodded, which seemed good enough for him because after a few moments of him staring us down, he nodded and walked away.

"Were we neckin'?" I asked her. "'Cause I don't think we were neckin'."

She shrugged and lay her head back on my shoulder and we quickly got back to swaying back and forth like we had been before.

By 10:30, my girlfriend was waddling and I had a feeling it was because of her heels.

"You okay, darlin'?" I asked her.

"Yeah. My feet just hurt a little."

"You're waddling. I don't think that really counts as okay."

"I'm _going_ to make it through the night in these. I refuse to take them off", she said.

"Am I gonna have to carry you to the truck?"

"Possibly. But either way I'm keepin' these on."

I laughed and kissed her cheek, already knowing that she wasn't going to last the entire night. She looked like she was in too much pain to last another five minutes.

Fifteen minutes later, she leaned down and took off her heels with a groan. She had admittedly outlasted my estimate of five minutes, but not by enough for her to reach her goal of wearing the heels for the entire night.

"Better?" I asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Good to know", I laughed, pulling her back into a hug.

With her heels off, she was back to her regular height, so she had to crane her neck to look at my face. I couldn't help but smile and kiss her on the forehead.

"I love you", I told her.

"I love you too" she said.

When she went to the bathroom a few minutes later, I jogged over to the guy that was playing the music with an idea.

"Sir, can I put in a request?" I asked him.

"Sure", he shrugged. "Whaddya want me to play? I'll see if I've got it."

"'Love Me Tender' by Elvis", I said.

He looked through the rows of vinyl he had next to him and finally pulled one out.

"Here we go. When d'you wan' it played?"

"Whenever works", I told him. "Thank you."

"No problem."

I went and stood by the wall until she came back a minute or so later.

"What'd you do?" she asked the second she saw me.

"Oh, nothin'", I told her while she took off her heels again and put them next to where I was standing.

She cocked an eyebrow at me as she straightened out her dress. "You look pretty damn mischievous for someone that didn't do anything."

"Just trust me, Princess", I assured her before leading her back out to the dance floor.

After a little while of me getting increasingly nervous that my request had been forgotten about, the man announced that the coming song would be the last one of the night. Then 'Love Me Tender' started to play.

I put my arms around Lily's waist and held her close to me. Hers went around my neck and she stood up on her toes to reach me better.

"Is this what you did while I was in the bathroom?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Maybe."

"You're so sweet", she giggled.

I smiled at her before pulling her up a little more and resting my chin on her shoulder so I could sing the song in her ear like she had done to me earlier.

"I love you so much, honey", she whispered when the song was done.

"I love you too, darlin'", I said back. "And I always will."

 **I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I had some writer's block. I hope everyone reading this from America had a great Thanksgiving and anyone reading this from another country had a great last few weeks. This chapter was really fun and cute to write and I enjoyed it a lot. I know there have been a lot of really long flashbacks lately, but that's only because I'm trying to build up to the proposal and, though I wouldn't know since I've never been proposed to, I'm guessing that the time leading up to a proposal involves some reminiscing. Hopefully the next chapter will be up fairly soon. All rights to "Love Me Tender" and "Unchained Melody" belong to their rightful owners. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**

 **P.S-**

" **Sei bella, gigila"- "You're beautiful, lily (like the flower)"**

" **Grazie, mamma"- "Thank you, Mom"**


	18. Chapter 18

The day after prom, I went to work at the bookstore. It was normal day until Ponyboy burst in during my lunch break. He was panting and leaned on the counter that I was sitting behind.

"What happened?" I asked. "You look like you just ran a damn marathon."

"Look." He took something out of the pocket of his jeans and handed it to me. It was a letter.

"Did they finally write back?" I practically screamed in excitement as I bounced in my chair. I would have stood up and jumped around, but my feet were still killing me from the night before.

"Well, Soda finally did", he smiled. "The mail came while we were gone last night."

I tore open the envelope and started to read.

"Dear Lily-flower,

I now it's been a while but I didn't have any time to write. Basic training is hard and days are long and hot, but it's pretty nice here. One of the guys is from Virginia and I think you and Pony would like him. His name is David and he likes books and movies and all that. He talks about his girlfreind a lot too. Everyone here does. I think every guy here left a girlfreind or wife at home. Me and Two-Bit are gonna get shipped off soon so we probly won't be able to write for a while. I'll remind Two-Bit to write his letter again so you will get something in Tulsa from him. I'm sending Ashlynn a letter to, but just tell her for me that I really love her and miss her alright? I miss all of you and I'll write as soon as I can. Love you doll.

Sodapop Curtis"

"He made some spelling errors", I laughed slightly as I re-read the letter again.

"Yeah, he made some on mine too", Pony chuckled.

"I really miss 'im."

"Me too, darlin'."

"Think he'll come back soon?"

"Not unless he gets hurt…", Pony trailed off, and he didn't have to finish his sentence for me to understand where he was going with it.  
I reached across the counter and took his hand, rubbing my thumb along the back of it and kissing his knuckles.

"He'll be okay", I said, mostly to him and partly to myself.

"Yeah", he sighed. "I hope so."

"So you got one too?" I asked.

Pony nodded, taking a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and holding it in the air. "He sent them all in a big envelope to our house. We got 'em last night, but I haven't had any time to see you 'n give you yours 'til now."

"Isn't this your lunch break?"

"Yeah."

"Have you eaten anything?"

"No."

"Did you bring your lunch with you?"

"Damn", he muttered. "I knew I forgot something."

I laughed and waved him over to my side of the desk.

When he came over, I had him sit down and picked up my brown paper lunch-bag from the floor next to me, setting it on the counter in front of us.

"You can share some of mine", I told him.

"It's fine, darlin'. Really-", he started, but I cut him off.

"Ponyboy, you're not starvin' on my watch. Please just eat something."

His lip twitched in an attempt to hide a smile. "Alright, alright. What'd you bring?"

A few minutes later, he turned to me in-between bites of his half off the sandwich I had brought.

"You still doin' that solo for the show in June?"

"Yeah."

"What song are you doin' it to?"

"You'll just have to wait and see", I smirked.

He jokingly groaned. "Can you at least show me part of it?"

"I think I danced myself out too much last night with you", I laughed.

"It was fun, though, you gotta admit."

"Yeah, it was."

"Can you show me, though?" he asked, pouting over dramatically and batting his eyelashes. "Pretty, pretty please?"

"You're not gonna give up on this, are you?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Fine", I sighed with a laugh as I stood up on my sore feet. "This isn't gonna be that good since my feet hurt, just lettin' you know now."

"It'll be great", he assured me. "'Cause you're doin' it."

I blushed and walked further behind the counter, deciding to do the first thirty seconds or so of the dance since I didn't want to show Pony the entire thing and the first part was the calmest. I didn't want to arabesque straight into a shelf of books or concern Mrs. Green with my jumping rattling the walls (which had happened on many occasions).

I did bourrees across the floor en pointe in my Converse with my arms in demi-second, then stopped and stood flat-footed. I brought my arms up to fifth position and let them float down into first before slowly going back up en pointe and lifting my leg up into an arabesque, which I held for a few seconds before sinking back down and curtsying.

"Christ, woman", Pony muttered, causing me to laugh. "That don't look natural, but you look beautiful doin' it."

"Thanks", I laughed as he walked over to me and picked me up in a hug.

"I gotta go back t'work", he muttered in my ear, "but I don't wanna."

"Well, if you wanna make money for college, you gotta go back to work", I pointed out.

"I guess you're right", he sighed dramatically. He pulled away from me slightly and pecked my lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, darlin'."

"See you tomorrow", I smiled back. "I love you, honey."

"I love you too. And I always will."

XxXxXxXxXx

Soon after, I was in study hall with Pony in the library. I was trying to find out what x was on the algebra homework that he had already done and he was studying for a test about the French Revolution in history the next day.

The intercom suddenly came on and the receptionist started speaking.

"Attention, seniors. The results for class superlatives are in and are as follows: the most athletic are Daniel Parker and Missy Kennedy. The most popular are Ilene Taylor and Richard Jenkins. Janet Green and Peter Smith are the best dressed…", she continued on like this for a while and I wasn't really listening very carefully until she got to "Cutest Couple". "…the cutest couple are Ponyboy Curtis and Lily Smith…"

He and I looked at each other and he smiled and gave me a kiss.

"We won?" I asked.

"I guess we did", he laughed.

"All of the seniors that I have just announced, please come down to the gymnasium to get your pictures taken", I heard the receptionist say.

Pony and I stood up and held hands as we walked down the hallway. I was thankful that I had decided to wear a sun dress and my flats with my hair in a braid. With my free hand, I took out my hair and observed the waves that had been formed.

"I'll never understand how your hair does that when you take it out."

"I have mystical powers", I stage-whispered. "I can turn straight hair into wavy hair."

"So Ruth's curling iron has 'mystical powers' too?" he asked, using his fingers to make quotation marks.

"Oh, shut up", I laughed and nudged him a little.

He was wearing his normal outfit of a T-shirt, jeans, and Converse, but it still made him look as handsome as ever.

When we got to the gym, everyone else that had been named was already there, huddled into a mob along the wall.

Mrs. Rote was standing in front of all of us with a clipboard. She looked around and seemed to count us off on her fingers before asking for our attention.

"Excuse me!" she called, causing us all to go silent and look at her. "If you don't already know me, I'm Mrs. Rote and I'm the drama teacher. I'm gonna call up one of each pair of y'all at a time and you're gonna go to that photographer over there." She pointed over to a man with a camera by another wall that was partly covered with a tarp, who looked at us and waved shyly. "Y'all understand?"

All of us either nodded or verbally agreed and she smiled. "Well, that makes my life a lot easier. First up: Boy and Girl of the Year."

The pairs of students were called up; one category at a time. They stayed with the photographer for a while before they left and the next pair was called up.

"Cutest Couple", Mrs. Rote announced with a slight smile. When Pony and I started walking towards the photographer, she gave us a beaming grin.

"Hello", the photographer greeted and shook both of our hands. "My name's Adam."

"Nice t'meet you", Pony and I said.

"Now, y'all are 'Cutest Couple', right?"

"Yes, sir", Pony told him.

"Great", Adam nodded and gestured to the wall. "Now if y'all could go stand over there, that'd be just perfect."

We did as he said and stood in front of the wall.

"D'you want us to do anything specific?" I asked.

"That's what I'm stuck on", Adam sighed. "I don't want the pictures t'be stupid, but I still want 'em to be cute, y'know?"

I nodded in understanding.

"What do y'all like to do?"

Pony and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"Read?" he suggested.

Adam's face brightened and I could tell that he had gotten an idea.

"Here", he said, handing us each a book from the floor next to him. "We used these for another category, but I've got an idea. What're your names again?"

"I'm Lily."

"And I'm Ponyboy."

"Ponyboy, will you please go sit with your back to the wall?" Adam asked as he fiddled with his camera.

Pony nodded and sat at the wall.

"Now, Lily, can you go sit next to him on his left?"

After I did, he directed us again. "Lily, put your head on his shoulder and hold your book open with your left hand. Ponyboy, hold your book open with your right hand and hold Lily's free hand with yours."

We shifted around to get into the position Adam wanted and I squeezed Pony's hand lightly.

"This isn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be", I told him.

"I thought it was gonna be way worse too", Pony whispered.

I liked the position Adam had chosen for us. It felt natural and Pony and I being Pony and I, we had probably been in that position before on the Curtis' couch.

The camera flashed a few times before Adam clapped his hands together in satisfaction. "What else do y'all like t'do?"

"Lily dances", Pony said.

"You do?" Adam asked.

"Yeah", I nodded with a slight blush.

"Ponyboy, do you think you can you dip her?"

"Yeah, I've done it before", Pony told him as he came over to me and put his arms around my waist before dipping me. I laughed and quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.

"If you drop me, Ponyboy Michael, I swear to God…", I laughed as Adam took pictures.

"If I do, I give you full permission to punch me in the arm."

"We're almost done" Adam told us while Pony pulled me back to my feet. "All I want you t'do is kiss. Nothin' too crazy."

Ponyboy smiled down and me, wrapped an arm around my waist while the other cupped my face and kissed me. I stood up on tip-toe and kissed back, holding his face in my hands.

Soon, we unfortunately had to break apart. I stood back on my feet and smiled when my boyfriend gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Y'all did great", Adam told us. "I hope you like the pictures when you see 'em."

"I'm sure we will", I said. "Thank you."

When we walked out from Adam's set-up, Mrs. Rote called over the next pair.

"How'd it go?" she asked us when we got close to her.

"Pretty good", Pony said, putting his hand in mine.

"Y'know", she whispered. "I wasn't allowed to vote since I'm a teacher, but if I were allowed to, I would've voted for y'all."

"Thank you, ma'am", I smiled. "Have a nice day."

"Y'all have nice day too."

XxXxXxXxXx

In early May, graduation was all that anyone talked about. We were sized for our caps and gowns and I was even starting to think about what I would wear.

On the first day of the month, Pony and I were called down to the office.

"Would Ponyboy Curtis and Lily Smith please report to the office?" the receptionist said over the intercom during the end of last period.

He and I looked at each other nervously and I grabbed his hand. I couldn't remember ever doing anything bad; especially not something bad enough to get us sent to the office, but I was still terrified nevertheless.

"Go ahead", our teacher told us as he continued scribbling away on the chalkboard.

We grabbed our bags and walked down the hallway hand-in-hand.

"Did we do anything?" Pony asked me. "I don't think we've ever done anything bad. What if it's Angela? Or Roger? Do you think someone got hurt?"

"Ponyboy", I said, stopping in the middle of the hall and gripping his shoulders. "Baby, we'll be alright. It's just the office. There's a real good chance that there callin' us down for nothing. We'll be okay, okay?"

"Yeah", he sighed and rested his forehead on mine. "Okay."

My mind was racing as we continued walking. _What if it's Soda or Two-Bit?_ I thought. I was incredibly nervous, but I couldn't let Pony know that. He already looked a little frazzled as it was.

When we got to the office, I took a breath before cautiously walking into the room with Pony trailing behind me. The receptionist looked up at us from some paperwork.

"Hello, ma'am", I said shyly. "I'm Lily Smith and this's Ponyboy Curtis. You called us down?"

"Yep. Just go down that little hall over there and the room where they want y'all is the second door on the left", she told us, practically leaning over her desk while giving us the directions.

"Thank you, ma'am", I nodded and hugged Pony's arm closer to me.

He moved his arm so it was wrapped around my shoulders and hugged me tightly to him as we wandered down the unfamiliar office hallway.

At the second door to the left, we both stopped and peeked into the room, where there was a huge table. It looked like a meeting room and almost every chair at the table was full. Mr. Edwards sat near the head, along with several other teachers. At the very head of the table was a man that I didn't recognize.

Mr. Edwards waved us in. "Come in, y'all."

"Hello, sir", we said.

"Go ahead and sit down", he said as he gestured to the two empty chairs across from him and next to the man at the head of the table.

My heart was racing and I could feel my palms getting clammy. Pony looked down at me and gave me a small reassuring smile, causing me to smile a little bit at him too as we sat down.

"I'm Mr. Jackson, the superintendent", said the man at the head of the table as he shook both of our hands. "I'm guessin' you're Lily Smith and Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Yes, sir", Pony answered. His voice sounded strong to the untrained ear, but I could tell that he was scared. Our hands were squeezing each other's so hard that I wouldn't have been surprised if they were both broken or at the least fractured by the end of whatever meeting we were in.

"You're both probably wonderin' why we called y'all here and I think it'll be a relief to know that you're not in trouble."

We both relaxed tremendously. I felt Ponyboy loosen his grip on my hand from under the table and run his thumb along the back of my hand.

"We're all here to tell y'all that you're valedictorian and salutatorian", Mr. Jackson said.

"Wait, what?" I didn't really believe what was happening.

"Mr. Curtis, you're valedictorian and Miss Smith, you're salutatorian for your class."

I looked at Pony in shock, then back at the adults surrounding us.

"Do our families know?" he asked.

"We're gonna leave that up to y'all", Mr. Edwards smiled.

"If you want, you can go back to class", Mr. Jackson told us. "Congratulations."

"Thank you", we both said, picking up our bags and leaving the room.

When we were out of their sight, I dropped my bag and tackled Ponyboy in a bone-crushing hug. He held me and spun me around as he squeezed me.

"We did it", he whispered in my ear when he stopped spinning and held me in his arms. "We made it, darlin'. We made it."

"We did it", I laughed and kissed him for a while before pulling back and smiling at him.

He peppered my face in kisses, causing me to giggle as he carried me and our bags down the rest of the office hallway.

"I don't know what they told you in there, but congratulations on whatever it was", the receptionist laughed.

"Thank you", we smiled.

Pony put me down and wrapped me in another hug.

"God, I love you", I muttered.

"I love you too", he said into my neck and I could practically hear the smile on his face.

School ended less than half-an-hour later and on the walk home, we told Ashlynn.

"Hey, Ash", I said to get her attention.

"Yeah?"

"Pony got valedictorian."

"And Lily got salutatorian", Pony smiled as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

Ashlynn stopped short. "What? Really?"

"Yeah", I nodded with a laugh.

"Oh my God!" Ashlynn exclaimed, pulling us both into a massive hug. "That's amazing! First you got 'Cutest Couple' in the yearbook and now this."

"Thanks", I laughed as I pulled away. "I can help but wonder why we got them, though, since we weren't voted as 'Most Likely to Succeed'."

I knew why Pony had gotten valedictorian while I had gotten salutatorian, though. He not only was incredibly smart and got good grades, but he also did several sports, which boosted his chances through the roof. I had only gotten good grades and the "Diary of Anne Frank" play.

"I heard that y'all were the only greaser couple on the entire superlative list, so all the greaser seniors probably voted for you whether they really know you or not. That explains the superlative. For the valedictorian and salutatorian, the teachers picked and most of them probably don't have as much of a bias towards Socs as the students."

"That _would_ make sense", Pony admitted and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that sounds more likely."

"But no matter how you did it, you did it", Ashlynn smiled. "I got smartypants friends."

"Like you're any less smart than we are", Pony said.

She shrugged with a smirk. "We'll just have t'wait and see if I get one of your nerd positions when I graduate."

XxXxXxXxXx

Ponyboy's POV

A couple weeks after Lily and I learned that we would be valedictorian and salutatorian, I got home from work to see Darry reading the paper in his recliner.

"Whatcha doin' home?" I asked.

"It started rainin' earlier, remember?" he reminded me. "The boss sent us all home."

I nodded in understanding and pointed to the newspaper. "Can I borrow that?"

"Sure", Darry shrugged as he handed to me. I sat down on the couch and flipped through the pages.

"What're you lookin' for?" Darry asked.

"The weather report for next few days", I responded as I continued to look for it.

"Why?"

"Remember how last month I told you that I'm plannin' on proposing to Lily before we finish school?"

"Yeah, why?" he said. I remained silent and looked at him, hoping he would get the hint. He seemed to figure out what I was hinting towards a few moments later when his eyebrows rose and he sat up straighter in his seat. "Really? You're gonna do it in the next few days?"

"If the weather looks like it's gonna be nice", I responded as I finally found the page with the weather report. My eyes scanned the weekend thoroughly since that was when I was hoping specifically to propose and I was greeted with a report of it being in the fifties and sixties on that Saturday, May 17.

"I think I'm gonna do it on Saturday", I said.

"How're you gonna do it?"

"I'm gonna take 'er to the country after work", I answered. "So is it alright if I take the truck for the night?"

"Of course it's alright. Pony, you're proposing to your girlfriend. Do you really think I'd say that you couldn't do that because I wanted the truck for the night?"

I shrugged. "Just makin' sure."

There was a moment of silence before Darry spoke again.

"Wow", he sighed. "So you're really gonna get married, aren't you?"

"If she says yes, then, yeah, that's the plan."

"She'll say yes."

"How d'you know that?"

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, I've never seen anyone looks at you the way she does. She loves you to bits. She'll say yes."

"That's what I'm hopin'", I laughed anxiously.

"You're usin' Mom's ring, aren't you?"

"Yeah, how'd you know."

"I remember you as a kid, Pony, and I remember what Mom told you 'bout her givin' you the ring when you found the right girl. Besides, I was the one that sorted out the will and it said in there t'give you the ring."

I smiled a little. "I miss 'em."

"Me too", Darry sighed, moving onto the couch to sit next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "They would'a loved her. Both of 'em."

"Yeah", I smiled. "They would've."

"Remember when Lily taught you how t'dance in Mom's heels?"

"How could I forget?" I laughed.

I could vividly remember the sparkle in her eyes as she danced and I could tell that she loved doing it more than almost anything. And I loved dancing with her more than almost anything. We had waltzed and swing-danced around the living room for hours before the gang had come home and caught us.

When they asked us if we would show them the dances, I almost said no, but I could see how much Lily wanted to, so I had agreed. It had earned me lots of teasing after she had left that night, but it was worth it to see her that happy. I would give anything to see her happy.

"When we had that talk that day she taught you to dance, me and Soda weren't kiddin' around. You really look just as in love as Mom and Dad did. And that's somethin' special, Ponyboy."

"I know", I nodded with a small smile. "And I really love 'er. More than anything."

"I'm proud of you, Pony", Darry said. "I prob'ly don't say that enough, but I'm real proud of you. You got someone that really loves you and makes you happy, you got valedictorian in school, and you're goin' to Princeton. You're gonna get outta this town, Ponyboy; you an' Lily both, and y'all're gonna do great things. I know you are."

"Thanks, Dar", I blushed. "That means a lot comin' from you."

He smirked and gave me a slight squeeze. "No problem, Pone. Why don't you go read or somethin' while I make dinner. It's my night."

I nodded and went into my room, where I pulled Soda's letter to me off of the bedside table and starting reading it for probably the twentieth time that week.

"Dear Pony,

By the time you get this, you and Lily will have probly have gone to prom already and I want you to tell me everything and send me pictures. I wish I could have been there. I'm real suprised that you haven't proposed yet. I don't want to wait any longer than I already have to for a little sister. Tell me how you are going to do it and send pictures of that to if you can. And if you don't send me a letter by the time you propose or graduate I'm going to fight the generals and officers to send me back home just so I can hit you in the head. Anyway, I'll remind Two for probly the millionth time to write you and I'll try to get another letter to you as soon as possible. Love you Pony.

Sodapop Curtis"

I laughed a little at the number of spelling errors he had made and scanned the words over again. I really missed him and wished he was still home. I knew that I wouldn't be able to go on if he or Two-Bit died in the war no matter what the rest of the gang or Lily did.

As I stared at the letter, I felt a tug in my stomach and felt like I needed something of his to hold. I searched the room and finally found his DX shirt thrown over the back of a chair. I grabbed it and buried my face into it, smelling the gasoline and cologne on the fabric.

I wanted him home so badly. I needed _both_ of my brothers.

Holding Soda's DX shirt in one hand, I reached over with the other and opened the drawer of the bedside table, finding the velvet box that I had placed in there a week before. I pulled it out and held in in both hands before opening it, revealing Mom's engagement ring.

I gently took it out as though it were made of glass and not silver and held it between my forefinger and thumb. I couldn't help but think about how big my hands now were in comparison to the ring and how they would have dwarfed Mom's. She was a slight woman, probably only about five-foot-five in height and 115 pounds. Her hands were small and slim like the piano-player she was, though she hadn't played since she was a teenager. She had wavy caramel-brown-colored hair and her eyes were a shade of green somewhere my green-grey and Darry's icy blue-green. Her voice was smooth and she had a sweet, thick Southern accent. Her smile could warm up a room covered in ice and her laugh made everyone around her laugh too.

She was almost the same exact person as my girlfriend. Lily had a small, lithe body and couldn't have weighed more than one hundred and fifteen to one hundred and twenty pounds. Her hair was just about the same color as Mom's and she had the same sweet, comforting smile and contagious laugh as her. They both loved to learn and read and they were both stubborn and caring enough to keep up with the gang and I.

Lily's accent and eye color were the only things that differentiated her from Mom. Lily's eyes had long black eyelashes surrounding them while Mom's had been blonde. Her eyes were also much darker in the irises, being a warm brown that reminded you of melted chocolate. And while Mom's accent had been wholly Southern, Lily's was different from anyone that I had ever heard. It could sound Southern at times when she didn't say her "I-N-G's" or said "y'all", but for the most part it was a combination between North and South. Since her parents were from Boston, she sometimes slipped into a Boston accent. When she started to talk really fast (which she did fairly often) or became really tired while talking, she wouldn't say her R's and she'd skim over her vowels a little. She hated it, but I loved the way it sounded coming from her and found it endearing.

I looked closely at the ring, trying to see every little detail that there was. The band was silver with an intricate, almost floral design and the setting held a diamond. Every year on their wedding anniversary, Dad recalled their engagement. How he had saved up for months to get Mom the perfect ring. How he asked her parents for their blessing first. How he had proposed in front of both of their families on Christmas morning.

"And your mom almost fainted before sayin' 'Oh, Darrel, or course! You're the most strong, handsome, wonderful man I've ever met. Kiss me, you fool!", Dad would say at the end of the story, making his voice impossibly high when imitating Mom.

"Darrel Curtis, that's not what I said and you know it", Mom would laugh as she lightly hit him on the arm.

"Oh, I know that, darlin'", he would cheekily smile back like Soda. "I gotta spice up the story, though. Make it more interestin'."

I smiled at the memory and lightly pressed the ring to my lips, taking a deep breath before putting it back into the box and into my bedside table, putting down Soda's shirt, and going to the phone. I dialed in Lily's number and waited as it rang.

"Hello?" I heard and knew it was Lily.

"Hey, darlin'", I smiled.

"Hey. What's up, honey?"

"D'you wanna go on a date on Saturday? After work, I mean."

"Sure", she responded with a smile in her voice. "I'll even see if I can get out early. Where're you thinkin'?"

"It's a surprise."

"Alright", she laughed. "If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow, love."

"See you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, honey", she said before we hung up.

It was really happening. I was going to ask her to marry me.

 **Sorry it's taken me a bit to write again, but school's been keeping me busy (per usual). I have lots ideas for what's going to happen for the proposal, but I think I'm going to do two chapters for it: one from Lily's POV and the other from Ponyboy's POV. I'm SOOOOOO excited for the proposal and I can't wait to write it. I've grown this story from when the two of them were thirteen and fourteen and to see that it has come this far and that they're getting married…it's like my own child is getting married. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw**

 **P.S- The spelling errors in Soda's letters were intentional.**


	19. Chapter 19

Two weeks after Pony and I were told about being valedictorian and salutatorian, he asked me if I wanted to go on a date on that coming Saturday, to which I obviously said yes.

I taught the girls in the morning before stopping off at home, taking a quick shower, and going to work at the bookstore. When my hair was only a little damp, I put it into a braid to get it out of my face and make it wavy when it finally dried.

I got out of work a little early and went back home to get ready. While I was walking, I re-read the letter that Two-Bit had recently sent.

"Dear Lily,

Sorry its taken me so long to write back to you. I couldn't remember for the life of me. Me and Sodapop are both safe here and are gonna to be shipped off in a few days. We'll write back when we get to Vietnam so y'all can know where to send your letters. We got the pictures that you sent us from you and Pony's prom and you looked great. Pony wouldn't stop going on about how beautiful you looked in his letters to us. I wish I could be there for your graduation and I know Soda does to. How is everyone? Is Rachel doing alright? Make sure to send us more pictures of graduation and whatever else. Love you, doll.

Two-Bit Mathews"

"What're we gonna do with you, Keith Mathews?" I laughed to myself as I tucked the letter back into the pocket of my jeans.

When I got home, I put on a pretty white sundress that had little teal and blue flowers scattered around it, a grey sweater, my grey Converse, and my ring, necklace, and some little silver studs before taking my hair out of the braid and hair-spraying the waves. As I was putting on some mascara and light pink lipstick, I heard Mom call me downstairs.

"Lily! Ponyboy's here!"

After checking that I had everything that I was going to bring, I came downstairs to see my parents and Anna and Henry all gathered in the living room with strangely giddy smiles on their faces.

"Are y'all okay?" I asked.

"'Course we are", Anna said. "You got everything?"

"Yeah…", I answered, trailing off in confusion.

When I felt a pair of arms around my waist, I smiled and looked back to see my boyfriend.

"Hey, honey", I smiled.

"Hey, darlin'", he grinned back as he let me go. "You ready t'go?"

"Yep", I said before turning back to my family. "I'll see y'all later. Love you."

"Love you too", they said back.

"What was that all about?" I asked Pony once we got in the truck.

"I dunno", he shrugged. "Prob'ly nothing."

He started to drive and not long after, we were out of Tulsa.

"You gonna tell me where we're goin' yet?" I asked.

"Nope", he smirked.

I heaved an overly-dramatic sigh and yawned. "I think I'm gonna take a little nap."

"Okay", Pony said, taking my left hand and kissing the back of it before putting it back down.

XxXxXxXxXx

A while later, I woke up, rubbing my eyes carefully as to not smear my makeup.

Pony looked over at me when he saw me stir and smiled lightly. "Have a nice nap?"

"Mm-hmm", I hummed with a slight nod as I fixed my hair and made sure that I didn't have any drool on the corners of my mouth.

I took one of Pony's hands off of the wheel and checked his watch, which told me that I had been sleeping for close to an hour and a half.

"We're almost there", he chuckled as he put his hand back on the wheel. "Just about another half-hour."

"Alright", I responded while my grogginess wore off. Leaning over slightly, I turned on the radio and adjusted the knobs until I found a channel that I liked.

Several songs came on before "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", though when I heard its opening notes, I turned up the volume and started singing along.

Ponyboy was laughing at me a little as he drummed his finger against the steering wheel to the beat.

I turned towards him and belted out the chorus when it came on. He laughed wholeheartedly and joined in, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I love you, baby!

And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby

To warm the lonely night.

I love you, baby.

Trust in me when I say:

Oh, pretty baby!

Don't bring me down, I pray.

Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.

And let me love you, baby.

Let me love you.

You're just too good to be true.

Can't take my eyes off of you…"

As the song ended, I turned the volume back down and the truck slowed down to a stop soon after.

When I got out of the truck to stretch my legs, I looked around and saw that we were in what looked like the countryside. A sea of bright green grass stretched out all the way to the horizon. Beautiful, vibrant wildflowers in purples, pinks, and yellows were scattered everywhere and added pastel-colored dots to the landscape for as far as the eye could see.

"It's beautiful", I whispered.

"It is, isn't it?" I heard Pony say from behind me. He was holding a picnic basket and was smiling sweetly. "This's where we used to come with Mom and Dad."

I smiled sadly at him and took his free hand in mine before leading him out into the field, where we soon found a spot to set up our blanket that was in the middle of a cluster of flowers, but not too far from the truck.

I sat back on my hands and looked out at the horizon, enjoying everything around me. It was warm outside but not too hot or cold and the sun shone brilliantly in the cloudless cerulean sky. The light breeze blew around the sweet smells of the grass and flowers and tousled my hair, causing me to smile contentedly.

When I felt my hair and something else being tucked behind my ear, I opened my eyes to see my handsome boyfriend staring at me. Lifting a hand and lightly touching whatever was by my ear, I felt the soft petals of a flower.

"Why're you staring at me?" I asked him.

"Because you're beautiful", he answered simply, taking my hand.

I blushed and lay my head on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two of us sat there together in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. That was, until Ponyboy's stomach made an obscenely loud grumbling noise.

"You hungry?" I laughed.

"Maybe just a little", he smirked. He pulled the picnic basket closer to us and opened it up, taking out two plates covered by aluminum foil and a couple of water bottles. The plates were uncovered to contain sandwiches on one and cake on the other.

"Did you make all this?" I asked as Pony handed me a sandwich.

"Yeah", he nodded with a slight blush.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet."

The sandwiches were actually pretty good and so was the cake. As I ate the latter, I did a little dance, wiggling my shoulders.

"What're you doin'?" Pony laughed.

"Dancing."

"Why?"

"Because I'm happy and I like chocolate cake", I responded with a grin.

"You're such a weirdo."

"But you still love me", I sing-songed.

"I definitely do", he smiled and kissed my temple.

That was when I noticed his clothes. He looked a little more nicely dressed than usual, not to say he wasn't usually dressed nicely. He was wearing a red flannel that I had never seen on him before, a pair of clean blue jeans, and a relatively clean pair of black Converse.

"Is that shirt new?"

"Yeah. Why, you like it?"

I nodded. "It looks nice on you."

"Thanks, darlin'."

"You're welcome."

We sat there for a while, talking about random things and enjoying ourselves.

"Want me t'put on some music?" Pony asked after about an hour.

"Sure."

He got up and went over to the truck, turning it on and putting on the radio.

"You sure you won't run outta gas with the car on?" I asked.

"Not long before you woke up on the ride, I stopped off and got some gas, so we've got a full tank. We'll be okay, darlin'. Don't you worry."

He walked back over to me and held out his hand. "Wanna dance?'

"Of course", I smiled, accepting his hand and standing up.

He held my waist with one hand and kept the other in mine while I put my free hand on his shoulder, and he waltzed me around in the grass to the sounds of 'Oh, How Happy' by Shades of Blue.

"D'you remember our first anniversary?" I asked as I heard the opening notes of 'Do You Love Me?'. "How you walked in on me dancing?"

"How could I forget?' he laughed. "It was to this song."

"I could try and teach you how t'do that kinda dancing", I suggested. "No one's around and I don't care how stupid you might look, if you're concerned about it."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Sure. Why not?"

I took his hands and led them lower to my hips, watching a slight blush form on his face before wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Now move your hips in a circle", I instructed.

He stared at me for a moment. "I'm not sure I trust myself t'do that."

"That's alright", I giggled. "There's no harm in trying."

He sighed, but did as I said, much to my amusement. Every movement was absurdly over-exaggerated and he swung his hips far enough away from himself that he bent at the waist and looked like he could keel over at any moment.

"Oh, honey", I laughed. "That's not it at all. C'mere, let me show you." I put my hands on his hips and moved them correctly for him. "There, now try again."

The next time was definitely better. He didn't look like he was trying to throw out a hip, at least.

"You gotta do it with me now", I told him as I put my arms back around his neck.

"Okay", he agreed before starting to move like I had shown him. I rolled and swung my hips in unison with his and ran one of my hands down from his neck to his shoulder.

It didn't take long for him to move with me on the right beats; he had always had a great sense of rhythm. After a little while, he pulled me closer to him so my body was flush against his.

"Feel like we're at Buck's?" I asked him while swinging my hips sharply from side to side.

"You're classier than any of the gals at Buck's, darlin'."

I blushed a bit and laughed. "Well, it matters on who's there. There could be a herd of Soc girls there. Ya' never know."

"You're not disproving my point", he laughed and dipped me, catching me by surprise and causing me to squeak. This made him laugh even harder.

"I think I'm gettin' the hang of this", Pony said as "Love Man" by Otis Redding came on.

"I think so too", I grinned.

We continued to dance for a while, which eventually just spiraled into us acting like complete lunatics. That was one of the best things about being in love with someone that was your best friend: you could be yourself and be a total weirdo around them and they wouldn't care.

"Darlin'", he said to get my attention and pointed to the horizon. "Look. The sun's setting."

I looked over and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen. Some clouds had formed in the sky while we had been in the country and they turned brilliantly bright and vibrant in the setting sun. The ones near the Sun were fiery reds and oranges and the ones a little further away that were soft, delicate pinks and peaches. Then there were the ones that faded out from those, which were gorgeous shades of purple and blue.

"It's beautiful", I murmured.

"Yeah", Pony agreed, and not a moment later, "Love Me Tender" started to play. He smiled and pulled me close to him, his arms wrapping around my waist and holding me securely as mine went around his neck. I rested my head comfortably on his shoulder and smiled at the familiar scent of his cologne. I could still remember smelling it on him when we were fourteen and just starting to date.

He sang along with the music, his smooth deep voice running through my head. In that moment, there was nothing I would rather have heard.

"Love me tender, love me sweet.

Never let me go.

You have made my life complete and I love you so.

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will.

Love me tender, love me long

Take me to your heart.

For it's there that I belong and we'll never part.

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will.

Love me tender, love me, dear.

Tell me you are mine.

I'll be yours through all the years, 'til the end of time.

Love me tender, love me true.

All my dreams fulfilled.

For, my darling, I love you, and I always will."

"Thank you for today, love", I whispered when the song ended. "It's been perfect."

"You're welcome, Princess", he replied with a kiss on my cheek. He pulled away from me slightly and looked deeply into my eyes, holding my hands tightly in his. His eyes looked a bright forest-green in the sunlight.

"Lily, I love you more than anything in the world. I know it sounds really cliché, but it's true", Pony said, making me laugh. "You're the one that's made my life worthwhile at times and I'm so thankful that I've got you with me. You're my rock and my best friend and the love of my life and I could never ask for anyone better. You've taught me things that I never knew and shown me how t'be a better person."

Tears came to my eyes at his words and I started to get choked up. "You're all that to me too, Ponyboy", I said.

He smiled lightly at me and continued. "After Mom and Dad died, I didn't know how long I could go on even with the gang, but then I met you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you and haven't stopped since. When Johnny and Dally died, I was ready to give up then and there, but you saved me and helped me live my life again and I'm so grateful for that. These past three years've been some of the hardest of my entire life, but also some of the best all because of you."

I smiled up at him and nodded along at his words. He took a hand away from mine and gently wiped my cheek with his thumb, then the side of my eye where mascara must have been smearing. I had no idea why he was saying all of these incredibly romantic and beautiful things to me, but I let him continue.

"I know we're both young and not even outta high school yet, but I've wanted t'do this for a long time and I can't wait any longer", he said in a thick, emotional voice, getting down on one knee in front of me and pulling a small velvet box out of his jeans' pocket with the hand that wasn't still holding mine. "I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep next to you every night. I want to start a family with you and love you for as long as I'm alive. So, Lily Grace Smith, will you marry me?"

When I finally realized what he was doing, I started to sob uncontrollably. I didn't even have to think about my response.

"Yes!" I answered. "Yes, Ponyboy, yes!"

He smiled wider than I had ever seen, stood back up, and spun me around as I cried and laughed and shook and felt every amazing emotion that there was.

When he put me back down, he leaned down and gave me the most beautiful, loving, and passionate kiss that we had ever shared.

"I love you so much, Lily", he whispered against my lips.

"I love you so much, Ponyboy", I replied and gave him another tear-filled kiss. "And I always will."

Pony took my left hand, carefully taking the promise ring that he had given me on our first anniversary off of my ring finger and slipping on the most beautiful ring that I had ever seen. It was silver with a diamond and incredibly gorgeous delicate detailing around the band and setting.

"Ponyboy, this is beautiful", I whispered in shock.

"It was Mom's", he smiled with tears in his eyes. "She told me that she'd give it to me when I met the right girl and after her and Dad died, it was given to me. You're the right girl, the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with, so it's yours now."

That set off a whole new round of crying, and I hugged Pony and kissed his cheek.

Soon, he turned off the truck and we lay in the back, watching the stars.

"I forgot how many stars you can see out here", Pony murmured as he pulled me closer to him.

"There's so many of them."

"Yeah."

"I wish I knew more constellations. If I did, I could recognize all of 'em out here."

"Well, you've already got me beat", Pony laughed. "I only know one."

"And which one's that?"

"The Big Dipper. Everyone knows that one, though."

"One's better than nothing", I pointed out.

"I guess that's true", he said.

For some reason, the full force of our engagement didn't hit me until right then.

"Ponyboy", I gasped.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna be Lily Curtis. We're gonna be married. You're gonna be my husband."

"Yep", he laughed. "And you're gonna be my wife."

"I like the sound of that. Me being your wife. You being my husband. Being married."

"I like it too", Pony smiled, kissing my temple. "I can't wait to call you Mrs. Curtis."

"Lily Grace Curtis", I said quietly since I knew that I wanted to keep my middle name and not have my last as my maiden name. "I love it."

"So do I."

XxXxXxXxXx

When we got back into Tulsa, we drove to the Curtis' house and opened the door to find the house completely empty.

"Where's Darry?" I asked.

"He's staying the night and morning at Ruth's", Pony answered, coming up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and nuzzling his head into my neck.

"When was the last time we were alone together in your house for a night?"

"I don't think we ever have been. That's why I asked Darry if he could go somewhere."

I turned around his arms and put mine around his neck. "You planned this?"

He nodded shyly. "We don't really get t'be alone together and I thought now'd be a good time for it, with the proposal and all."

"You're sweet", I smiled, leaning up to give him a kiss on the nose. "The sweetest guy I could ever hope for."

"And you", he said, enunciating yeah word with a kiss, "are the sweetest girl I could ever ask for."

I giggled into the kisses and even more so when he started to tickle my sides.

"Stop!" I wheezed. "Pony, stop! You're gonna make me cry!"

After a while, he did finally stop, letting me take a few deep breaths as he laughed at my expense. When I had finally calmed down, he picked me up bridal style and carried me to his bedroom, placing me on the bed like I was made of fragile porcelain.

I slipped off my shoes and sweater and took the flower out of my hair. It was pink, small, and looked so delicate that a single touch would made it wilt.

"I like the freckles on your shoulders", Pony said as he unbuttoned his flannel and took it off, leaving him in a white wife-beater as he sat on the bed next to me.

"Thanks", I laughed. "Anything else?"

"Damn", he chuckled. "Everything else."

I cocked an eyebrow and smirked at him.

"I love your shoulders and your arms and your stomach and your waist and your hips…", he said, kissing each place as he mentioned it. When he got down to my feet, he kissed his way back up, making me laugh. "…and I love your neck and your chin and your cheeks and your lips and nose and eyes and forehead and hair."

"That's quite the extensive list", I laughed.

"Well I love an extensive amount of things about you."

I then noticed that he hadn't mentioned my chest or behind.

"What about my boobs and butt?" I teased.

Pony's face turned bright red. "Well, I've never seen either, but I'm sure that I love them as much as the rest of you."

My face turned red as well as I thought of something. "Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Have you ever thought about…y'know…having sex?" I asked quietly.

"Have I ever thought about what?" he asked, scooting closer to me and holding my hands in his.

"Having sex…"

"Well, yeah, I've thought about it", he said sheepishly. "Have you?"

"Mm-hmm", I nodded.

"I don't really like callin' it that, though. 'Having sex' just sounds kinda meaningless and casual or something."

"What would you rather call it?" I asked.

"If we're talkin' about you and me, I'd rather call it 'making love'", he smiled shyly. "It sounds more personal and like we really love each other, which we do."

"I think I like that better too", I admitted.

"Why do you ask? Do you wanna…y'know…?"

"Kinda", I said, blushing and looking down at Pony and I's intertwined hands. "I mean, I love you more than anything and I feel like we're ready."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna do anything until you're ready." He carefully lifted my chin and looked at my face.

"Yeah, I know I'm ready", I decided. "There's no one I would rather do it with."

"You're sure you don't feel pressured?"

"Positive."

"I don't know what I'm doing", he said.

"Neither do I", I laughed. "But we can figure it out together."

He still looked a bit concerned. "But what if I hurt you? I heard it hurts for the girls."

I smiled and cupped his cheek. "I'll be fine. If anything hurts, I'll make sure to tell you, okay?"

Pony grinned sweetly back at me and nodded. "You wanna lie down?"

"Sure."

And so we did, him laying me down on the bed and hovering over me, carefully propping himself up with his elbows so his full weight wouldn't be on top of me.

"What do we do now?" I whispered even though we were the only ones in the house.

"I think kissing's a good place to start", he told me before softly pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms loosely around his neck.

Soon, his mouth trailed down to my neck and kissed the place where he had left a hickey all that time ago. When he was happy with what he had done, he went back to kissing my lips.

"Did you leave a hickey again?" I asked him with a smile.

"Maybe…", he said with a mischievous grin.

I laughed. "You're such an ass."

"Love you too, baby", he smirked.

Without any warning, I then started kissing his neck as payback, not stopping until I had left a significantly large sized hickey.

"You happy now?"

"Very", I smiled before kissing him again.

After a little while, his hand trailed down from my waist to my hip then to the hem of my dress.

He tensed against my lips and I could feel him taking his hand off of my leg. I carefully took his hand and put it back on my lower thigh.

"It's okay", I muttered against his lips. "You can put your hand there."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Pony nodded slightly and lightly traced the hemline with his finger before edging his hand up a little further. When he got to the outside of my upper thigh, he stopped again.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There're scars on your leg. Are you okay? Did Angela do anything that I didn't know about?"

"Love, I'm fine. They're just stretch-marks."

His brow creased and he trailed his fingers across the scarring. "What?"

"When I was growing, I grew too fast for my skin to keep up, so it tore and made scars. They're called stretch-marks."

"So it's okay?" he asked. "You're not hurt?"

I laughed. "No, I'm not hurt, honey. It's sweet that you're worried, though."

"Is now when we start taking our clothes off?"

"I think so…but do we take our own off or each other's?"

"I'm not sure."

Pony leaned down and rested his forehead on mine, laughing hysterically, which caused me to do the same.

"What's so funny?" I finally got enough breath to ask.

"We're just so awkward", he wheezed out.

"You're such a goofball", I giggled. "And I love you for it."

"I love you too", he smiled as he finally calmed down.

"Now let's get this sorted out- we can take each other's off and see how it goes. If all else fails, we resort to Plan B. Capiche?"

"Got it", he chuckled. "But who's gonna go first?"

"You can take something off me if you want to", I told him, suddenly shy and blushing.

"If you're sure."

"Yeah, I am."

I slipped off my socks as he scoured the back of my dress for the zipper.

"Okay, where is it?" he finally asked with a sigh.

"On my side", I laughed, leading his hand to where the zipper started, right under my right underarm.

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it, honey. It's in a weird place.'

He kissed my nose and carefully unzipped the dress, slipped the straps off of my shoulders, and pulled it down my legs.

"Where do you want me to put it?"

"The floor's okay."

After the dress was put on the floor, Ponyboy turned back to me and stared. I was now in from of him in only a lacy nude bra and pink underwear.

I had never liked how much lace was on the bra because of how much it poked out my shirts and dresses, but since I was such a large size, pretty much the only styles were available were covered in the stuff. But as I lay in it in front of my fiancé, I was happy that I had worn it because as annoying as the lace was, it was pretty.

"Can I…?" he trailed off, his eyes flicking back and forth from my face to my chest.

I shyly nodded and watched as he lightly traced the outline of the bra with his finger. Idiotically enough, one of the only things I could think of was if he liked it or not.

"Do you wanna take off my shirt or pants or something?"

"Sure", I blushed as I undid his belt and slipped off his shirt with shaky hands. Both were dropped to the floor before I took off his pants and did the same to them.

I guess he could feel that my hands were still quaking a little because he held them in his and softly kissed my knuckles.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah", I laughed a little. "Just kinda nervous."

"So am I, but it's just you and me here. Nobody else but us."

I smiled at him and squeezed his hands before releasing mine from his and bringing them to his back. I ran them up his back, feeling the smooth skin that was rippled with muscle and staring at him in admiration. Some of the hair from his hairline was falling into his face, so I brushed it back, causing him to let out a small chuckle. He had freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks that weren't very visible because he was fairly tan, but up close they were impossible to miss. His cheeks and lips were red from the kissing we had been doing and his breaths were soft as he searched my face with his gorgeous green eyes.

That shade of green was permanently etched into my head, though I wouldn't have it any other way. I could be doing my homework and notice that one of the paintings that was used for reference in our history textbook contained that color and my thoughts would flee from the task at hand and change to him: the sweet bookish boy that I had fallen in love with when we were barely teenagers and come to love even more with each passing day.

I thought of him on the night he had asked me to be his girlfriend and we kissed for the first time. I remembered the look of bravery and fearlessness he had worn when charging into the burning church to save the children inside, which quickly gave way to fear and panic in the ambulance. There was his earth-shattering devastation at the deaths of Dally and Johnny the next day and his denial for weeks afterward. When we first said we loved each other after he had shown me Johnny's letter to him, his entire face lit up like a Christmas tree. These examples continued on and on and every time I thought of one where he looked at me it seemed like the amount of love in his eyes only grew. In that moment, though, I couldn't think of a time that surpassed his expression right then; it seemed as though our love had peaked at the very top of some universal chart and would stay there forever.

He was completely perfect and I wanted to tell him, but I felt like it would sound strange. Before I could stop them, though, the words started to come out of my mouth.

"Would it be weird…would it be weird if I said…", I trailed off, too embarrassed to say what was on my mind.

"If you said what?" he asked gently as he tucked some hair behind my ear. "You can tell me anything."

"…if I said you're perfect", I finished quietly. My face was on fire as I spoke and was probably glowing red.

He laughed and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "No, it's not weird, it's really sweet. And thank you, but I have to say that you're a million times more perfect than anyone, especially me."

"Thank you."

Ponyboy ran his thumb along my hipbone for a moment before bringing his hand up my side and letting it settle at my waist.

"D'you want me to take off your bra?" he asked.

"If you want to", I whispered.

After a few minutes, he eventually got it off and soon enough, neither of us had anything on and he was putting a blanket over his back and letting it drape over us so we weren't out in the open, even though no one else was home.

"You're so incredibly beautiful and amazing and I love you so much", he murmured as he caressed my cheek with his thumb.

Then for some reason, I started crying a little.

"I love you too", I said. "I love you so much."

He smiled sweetly and wiped my cheeks. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yeah", I nodded. "I'm positive."

"Okay", he whispered, giving me a gentle kiss. "Just tell me if it hurts. If it does, I'll stop."

"I love you, Ponyboy", I told him again before kissing him again.

"I love you too, Lily", he smiled. "And I always will."

It was uncomfortable and awkward and painful at times, but we did it. I couldn't have been happier and I could tell the same went for him.

Afterwards, we lay under the blankets facing each other. I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ponyboy asked as he twisted my hair around his finger. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"I'm just perfect", I sighed contentedly with a laugh. "I couldn't be better."

"Good", he smiled, pulling me closer to him and pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You tired, darlin'?"

I nodded and buried my head into his chest. I could smell his cologne and the scents of sunlight and grass from the country.

His hand slowly rubbed my bare back. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"I love you, Ponyboy", I told him as I drifted off.

Right before I fell asleep, I felt him kiss the crown of my head and say, "I love you too, Mrs. Curtis. And I always will."

XxXxXxXxXx

The next morning, I woke up to the sun streaming through the window. After I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I looked over and saw that Pony wasn't next to me anymore. The clock read 10 o'clock.

The day before seemed like a dream. To make sure that it wasn't, I looked at my left hand and saw my engagement ring glimmering in the sunlight.

That was when I noticed that I was naked under the covers and remembered the events of the night before, causing me to grin and blush heavily.

The door opened and Pony walked in carrying a tray and dressed only in his boxers. I lay under the blankets and watched as he came over to the bed and set the tray down near the footboard.

"Good morning, darlin'", he smiled as he got under the blanket with me. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. You?"

"Wonderfully. I made breakfast."

"You didn't have to do that", I said. "You could've woken me up."

"You looked too peaceful to wake up, so I let you sleep", he told me. We both sat up and he pulled the tray over to us. "You like your eggs scrambled, right?"

"Yeah", I laughed and gave him a kiss. "Thank you, honey."

"You're welcome." He handed me a fork and set a plate on my lap.

The two of us occasionally talked as we ate, but most of that time was spent in a comfortable silence. When I was finished, I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"How're you feelin'?" he asked.

"Great", I smiled up at him. "What about you?"

"Never been better, Mrs. Curtis."

"I'm not officially Mrs. Curtis yet", I reminded him.

"Well, I'm gonna keep callin' you that until you are and then after that."

"I'm not complainin'."

"Neither am I. I'm so happy that we'll get t'spend the rest of our lives together."

"I can't wait t'be able to wake up next to you every day."

"Well, there'll be a point where our kids'll be the ones wakin' us up", Ponyboy laughed.

"And I can't wait until then too", I said, kissing his nose.

"Ditto", he smiled and lightly kissed my forehead. "I love you so much, darlin'."

"I love you too, honey", I told him as I looked up into his green eyes that were shining with happiness. "And I always will."

 **IT HAPPENED! They're finally engaged! I'm so sorry that it's taken me such a long time to update, but vacation was hectic and the I edited this chapter relentlessly to make it as perfect as possible. During vacation, I also got into "Stranger Things" and I'm now thinking about making a story about that, but we'll see. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/ Kwanza/ Boxing Day etc. and I wish everyone the best in 2018. When I began all of this, I never expected as much as love and support as I got and I'm so thankful for all of you. Your comments never fail to brighten up my day. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**

 **P.S- The spelling errors in Two-Bit's letter are intentional**


	20. Chapter 20

Ponyboy POV

For the next two weeks, I stressed relentlessly about the proposal, planning every detail meticulously.

When the day finally came, I showed up to her house with sweaty palms and my mother's engagement ring in my pocket. I knocked on her door and rang my hands until Mr. Smith opened it with a wide smile. "Hey, Ponyboy. How're you doin' today?"

"Good. And you, sir?"

"Never been better. Come on in."

As I came through the doorway, I was ambushed by Mrs. Smith, Anna, and Henry.

"You ready?" Anna asked me excitedly.

"Ready as I'll ever be", I laughed shakily.

"Sweetie, you'll be fine", Mrs. Smith assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder

I smiled at her and jumped out of my skin when she called for her daughter. Suddenly, my mouth felt dry and I could barely swallow.

"May I get a glass of water?" I asked.

"Of course", Mr. Smith said. "Go help yourself. You know where the kitchen is."

I rushed into the kitchen and filled a glass with water from the sink, chugging it quickly and wiping some drops off of my chin with the back of my hand. There were footsteps coming down the stairs and I could tell they were my girlfriend's.

"Are y'all okay?" she asked, presumably because her entire family was smiling like the cat that caught the canary.

"'Course we are", I heard Anna respond as I silently walked into the room. "You got everything?"

"Yeah…?" Lily said almost like a question. She had on a white dress with blue flowers that went down to her knees, a grey sweater, and her grey Converse. Her long hair was down and wavy and the ends delicately brushed her waist whenever she moved.

While she still wasn't looking, I went up behind her and put my arms around her waist. She tensed for a moment before turning and smiling at me. "Hey, honey."

"Hey, darlin'. You ready t'go?"

"Yep", she smiled and said goodbye to her family before we went out to the truck. "What was that all about?"

"I dunno", I lied. "Prob'ly nothing."

"You gonna tell me where we're goin' yet?" she asked when we were out of the city.

"Nope."

She sighed heavily and yawned. "I think I'm gonna take a little nap."

"Okay", I said. I kissed the back of her hand and I saw her smile out of the corner of my eye before leaning her head back and falling asleep not long after.

I was being as careful as physically possible as I drove, per usual. The prospect of getting into an accident was terrifying to me, not only because Mom and Dad had gotten killed in one, but because Darry and Lily had been in one not long after everything happened back in freshman year. It was the day after I had shown her Johnny's letter and we had first said "I love you" to each other.

Darry was driving her home after she had stayed the night at my house, and not five minutes after they had left, there was a knock at the door. All of us had looked at each other in concerned confusion, since nobody ever knocked at our door unless it was someone from Social Services.

Sodapop ripped open the door to find two policemen on our doorstep.

"How can I help y'all?" he asked hesitantly. My palms started to sweat profusely and I felt like I was about to vomit.

"Is this the house of Darrel Curtis Jr.?" one of them asked.

"Yes, sir. Me and Ponyboy, here, are his brothers. Did something happen?"

"As he was driving earlier, he was stopped at a stoplight. A drunk driver went through the light and hit the passenger side of the car."

My stomach dropped to my feet and my knees felt shaky. _Lily._

"Is he okay?" Soda asked frantically.

"He seems to be fine, just has a sprained wrist and some cuts and bruises. He'll be fine, but he's at the hospital and y'all should probably get down there."

"Was there someone else in the car?" I almost yelled. "A girl in the passenger side?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?" the other officer asked.

"She's my girlfriend. Is she okay?"

"Well, since the car was hit on her side, she got the brunt of the hit. I don't know how she is or her injuries, but she's at the hospital too."

I almost simultaneously threw up and fainted right then and there.

"We'll give you boys a ride, if you want."

"That'd be great, sir", Soda nodded. "If y'all could just wait a minute…"

He ran back into the house and quickly told Steve and Two-Bit what had happened before running back out to me.

I got into the police car in some kind of daze, half awake and half asleep. Soda was talking to me the entire ride to the hospital, but I wasn't listening to a word he said.

When we got there, I slammed open the door and ran into the building, Soda yelling behind me.

"Darrel Curtis and Lily Smith", I wheezed to the receptionist. "They were just in a car accident. Where are they?"

As soon as she gave me the floor number, I ran to the elevator. My brother was sprinting to keep up with me.

On their floor, I ran frantically to the lobby, where I found Lily's family running in from another door. Mrs. Smith saw me and swallowed me in a hug after running over.

Suddenly, I was sobbing, not even realizing it until she was rubbing my back and trying to comfort me by whispering into my ear. For a moment, just a moment, I could trick myself into thinking that she was Mom.

"Sweetie, it's okay", she murmured. "I'm sure everything's fine."

"Families of Darrel Curtis and Lily Smith?" a voice asked form behind us. I turned and saw a doctor.

"Yes, sir", Mr. Smith nodded. "Are they okay?"

"Mr. Curtis only has minor injuries and a sprained wrist. Miss Smith is a slightly more serious case, I'm afraid."

"Is she okay?" I asked. "What's wrong with her?"

"She seems to have a broken arm and leg, several bruises and cuts, and a minor concussion. She was unconscious when she was brought in and still isn't awake."

"Will she be okay?" Anna asked.

"I'm sure she will be", the doctor responded. "But it will take longer for her to heal and we're not sure when she'll be conscious again."

"Can we see her?"

"She's not in her room or fixed up yet. But you can see Darrel, if you'd like. He's in room two-twenty-six."

I looked at the Smiths, silently asking if they wanted Soda and I to stay. Mrs. Smith smiled tiredly at me and nodded. "Go ahead, Ponyboy. We'll stay here and wait."

The gang and I practically ran down the hall and burst into the room, where Darry was laying on his bed. We tackled him a hug and I started sobbing all over again.

"It's okay", he whispered. "It's okay. I'm okay. We're okay."

When we finally putted away, he looked at us, concerned. "How is she?"

"The doc said she's got a couple broken bones and a concussion", Soda said.

Darry cursed and hit the mattress with his good hand. "Goddammit."

"It's okay, Dar", Two-Bit told him, putting his hand on Darry's shoulder.

"I couldn't protect her", Darry continued. "First, Mom and Dad, then Johnny and Dally and now Lily. I can't protect anyone, dammit."

"Darry, it's not your fault", I said quietly. "You couldn't've done anything for Mom and Dad and Johnny and Dally. It's not your fault. And the doctor said that she'll be okay."

He roughly wiped his eyes and sighed as he fell back onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair. "I hope he's right."

"He is."

We turned around to find Mrs. Smith with a sad smile on her face and tears running down her cheeks. "She just got settled into her room. She's banged up, but she's fine. We just saw her."

"Can we?" I asked.

"I think so. C'mon, I'll show you where the room is."

Darry nodded at us to go and we followed her through several hallways until we finally ended up at a door labeled "Room 345".

We walked in to find her lying in the hospital bed, surrounded by Mr. Smith, Anna, and Henry. Her hair had been taken out of what she had called a French braid that morning and was splayed out around her head. Her skin looked even paler than usual and was bruised and cut up. The scars on her forehead and under her lip stood out more than they usually did, along with a few stray freckles that dotted across her nose. Her black eyelashes brushed her upper cheeks and there was a cannula in her nose. Her right arm was in a cast and I knew that one of her legs under the blanket was the same way. She looked impossibly fragile.

"The doctor said that she'll be in the casts for four to six weeks", Henry said.

"Did he say when he thinks she'll wake up?" I asked.

"He's not sure exactly, but he said some point between today and a few days from now", Mr. Smith answered.

Soda nodded solemnly as I just stood there, staring at her.

"D'you want some time alone with her?"

"Can I?" I asked.

"Of course", Mrs. Smith smiled lightly. "We'll be out in the hallway if you need us."

They left and the one people left in the room were Soda, her, and I. He leaned over the bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead before patting me gently on the shoulder and leaving the room as well.

I took the hand that wasn't in the cast and pressed my forehead to it. "I was just with you. I was just with you an hour ago. I'm so sorry, darlin'. I should've been there. I should've been able to protect you.

"Goddammit, I love you so much", I hiccupped as I started to cry once again. "I thought you were gone. I thought you were dead too. Please wake up soon, darlin'. I need you to smile at me and laugh when I do stupid stuff and read and look at me with those pretty eyes of yours. Please just wake up soon. _Please_."

Her breathing remained steady and I almost expected to just wake up and smile that smile of hers at me. But it didn't happen.

I kissed her knuckles, then leaned up and kissed her forehead as I squeezed her hand. "I'll see you soon, okay, darlin'? I'm gonna be here for as long as you need."

I stayed in the hospital until the next night, stressing and barely sleeping. Soda and Darry made me go to school the day after that, saying that I couldn't afford any more days off, though right after I got out, I went back to the hospital with them and continued to wait for anymore news. As I sat in the waiting room and attempted to do homework, I continuously nodded off; I hadn't slept since the accident. Two-Bit, Darry and Steve stayed at the hospital while we were gone and were still there when we got there.

Not long after that, Mrs. Smith came barreling out into the lobby from Lily's room (Mr. Smith was at work and Henry and Anna were at school until later since they were younger). She had on one of the largest smiles I had ever seen.

"She's awake!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around us. "She's awake!"

"Really? Can we see her?" I asked.

She simply smiled at us and gestured for us to get up. All of us followed her down the hallway, which must have been an interesting sight- a woman leading a parade of sleep deprived greasers across a hospital.

She opened the door to the hospital room, revealing my girlfriend sitting up in her bed with a tired smile and messy hair.

"Oh God, Lily", I sighed and ran over to her, engulfing her in the largest hug that I could. As soon as Mrs. Smith left the room to leave us all alone, I started asking Lily questions at a mile a minute even though I already knew the answers to some of them. "Are you alright? What hurts? How long will it take-"

She cut me off with a light smile and a hand on my cheek. "Honey, I'm fine. Just a few broken bones and a minor concussion. Nothing I can't handle." It was such a relief to hear her voice again.

"I'm so sorry, Lily", Darry said. "This's all my fault."

"Get over here, Darry", she sighed and moved her hand from my face to gesture to him. He sat in the chair next to her bed. "Darrel, you've gotta listen to me just like you did after Ponyboy and Johnny ran away. I'm fine. None of this is your fault. It was the drunk driver. You did absolutely nothing wrong."  
"I know, but I can't help but feel guilty. All of us were going mad with worry."

"If it makes you feel any better, I forgive you even though you did nothing wrong."

He smirked a little at her. "I got a few days off of work form the sprained wrist."

"Good", she smiled. "You can rest that back of yours now."

We talked for a while before the gang decided to give her and I some time alone. They all gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room and when they finally did, I sat on the bed next to her, taking care to be on her uninjured side.

"I was so scared, Lily", I muttered as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"It's okay. I'm still here."

"I know, darlin', but I was still scared. I thought it would be five people in a year." I had started to cry for the umpteenth time in the past few days.

She turned to look and me and her face softened. "Oh, honey. Don't cry. I know. I know." She held my head to her chest and murmured words of comfort before taking a shaky breath and beginning to softy sing "Love Me Tender" as she ran her good hand through my hair. I moved so I was hugging her around her waist with my head in her shoulder and could feel her crying.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, darlin'", I said as I kissed her neck.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either, honey."

We sat up and she lay her head on my shoulder. I kissed her head, then tilted up her chin and kissed her lips.

"I love you", she told me after we pulled away.

"I love you too", I smiled, "and I always will."

XxXxXxXxXx

After a while of driving, I stopped and filled up the gas tank so we would be able to get home without incident. Lily was still sleeping in the passenger seat.

About a half-hour before we got to the country, she woke up and rubbed her eyes, somehow managing to not mess up her makeup.

"Have a nice nap?" I laughed.

"Mm-hmm", she nodded while fixing her hair. She took one of my hands from the steering wheel and checked the time on my watch.

"We're almost there", I assured her. "Just about another half-hour."

"Alright", she said before turning on the radio and switching around the channels. She hummed along to the songs she liked and turned the volumes off during the ones she didn't. When "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" started, though, her face brightened up and she turned the volume up higher, singing along to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

I laughed as I drummed on the wheel with my finger and even more so when she started practically screaming the chorus. Knowing that she was going to tell me to sing along anyway, I decided to skip the whole debate and just do it.

"I love you, baby!

And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby

To warm the lonely night.

I love you, baby.

Trust in me when I say:

Oh, pretty baby!

Don't bring me down, I pray.

Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.

And let me love you, baby.

Let me love you.

You're just too good to be true.

Can't take my eyes off of you…"

Not long after the song was over, we reached our destination and I parked the truck.

She hopped out and stretched for a moment, looking around as I got a picnic basket out of the back. It really was a beautiful place and it brought back fond memories for me. I wanted to share it with her.

"It's beautiful", I heard her whisper.

"It is, isn't it?" I agreed. "This's where we used to come with Mom and Dad."

She smiled and took my hand before we walked out into the field, soon finding a spot to set our things down.

After we sat, she sat back on her hands and looked out at the sky and grass in front of her. The breeze tousled her hair, causing us both to smile, though she didn't notice mine.

Without even really thinking about it, I plucked one of the small flowers that was growing around us and tucked it behind her ear along with her hair.

She looked over at me and smiled as she softly touched the flower.

"Why're you staring at me?" she asked.

"Because you're beautiful", I said as I took her hand.

She blushed heavily and lay her head on my shoulder. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

We sat on the grass and admired the view for a while before being interrupted by my stomach growling.

Lily laughed. "You hungry?"

"Maybe just a little", I admitted as I pulled over the picnic basket and took out what I had packed: sandwiches and chocolate cake with a couple bottles of water.

"Did you make all this?"

"Yeah."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "You're so sweet."

While we ate the cake, I looked over and saw that she was moving her shoulders in a little dance.

"What're you doing?" I asked with a laugh.

"Dancing", she responded simply.

"Why?"

"Because I'm happy and I like chocolate cake."

"You're such a weirdo."

"But you still love me", she said in a sing-songy voice.

"I definitely do", I laughed, kissing the side of her head.

"Is that shirt new?"

I looked down at the red flannel that I had gotten specifically for the occasion. Ruth had helped me pick it out, saying that it would contrast my eyes. She had become like a big sister to Soda and I since Darry had started dating her. "Yeah. Why, you like it?"

"It looks nice on you", she nodded.

"Thanks, darlin'."

"You're welcome."

"Want me t'put on some music?" I asked after a little while.

"Sure."

As I went to the truck and turned it and then the radio on, I began worrying about something that I had planned. Earlier that day, I had called a local radio station and asked them to play "Love Me Tender" at sunset. Lily and I liked watching the sunset together and "Love Me Tender" was our song, so I thought that it would be a good way to prelude the proposal.

"You sure you won't run outta gas with the car on?" she called over to me.

"Not long before you woke up on the ride, I stopped off and got some gas, so we've got a full tank. We'll be okay, darlin'. Don't you worry." I walked back over to her and held out my hand. "Wanna dance?"

"Of course", she smiled as she let me help her up.

We danced to a few songs that I wasn't too familiar with before one came on that I could recognize for the sole reason that I had a memory attached to it. I could vividly remember walking into my girlfriend's room on our first anniversary and seeing her dance to this song. Her face had gone as red as I had ever seen it when she realized I was there.

As if reading my thoughts, she asked, "D'you remember our first anniversary? How you walked in on me dancing?"

"How could I forget? It was to this song."

"I could teach you how t'do that kinda dancing", she suggested with a smirk. "No one's around and I don't care how stupid you might look, if you're concerned about it."

Already knowing that I would lose the battle, I rolled my eyes and complied. "Sure. Why not."

She took my hands and put them on her hips, causing my face to become warm, before reaching up to put hers around my neck.

"Now move your hips in a circle", she told me.

"I'm not sure I trust myself t'do that."

"That's alright", she laughed. "There's no harm in trying."

And so I did, causing her to burst out into fits of giggles. "Oh, honey. That's not it at all. C'mere, let me show you."

I wasn't quite sure what she did, but after a moment of adjusting my hips, she spoke again. "There, now try again."

Whatever she had done seemed to work, and I eventually working up the confidence to pull her body closer to mine as we danced.

"Feel like we're at Buck's?" she asked with a smile.

"You're classier than any of the girls at Buck's, darlin'."

She blushed. "Well, it matters on who's there. There could be a herd of Soc girls there. Ya' never know."

"You're not disproving my point", I laughed before dipping her. She squeaked a little, which caused me to laugh even more.

"I think I'm gettin' the hang of this", I told her as the song changed.

"I think so too", she smiled.

Our once well-structured dancing shortly evolved into us just goofing around together. I did everything that I could to get her to laugh since it was one of my greatest pleasures to make her happy.

"Darlin'. Look. The sun's setting", I told her, pointing to the horizon where the Sun was indeed going down. I felt my stomach re-tighten its knot as I realized that it was almost time to propose. I was terrified that the radio wouldn't play "Love Me Tender" like I had asked.

Her face was illuminated and tinted pink by the sunset, making her look almost angelic. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah", I agreed and felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders once I heard the opening notes to our song. I couldn't help but smile as I pulled her close to me wrapped my arms around her waist. Hers went around my neck and she rested her chin on my shoulder. I knew she liked it when I sang (though I couldn't explain why exactly since it wasn't anything special), so I quietly sang along to the music.

As the song ended, she looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you for today, love. It's been perfect."

"You're welcome, Princess", I told her and kissed her cheek before pulling away slightly and holding her hands. I took a deep breath before speaking. "Lily, I love you more than anything in the world. I know it sounds really cliché, but it's true." She laughed and I took it as a good sign, so I continued. "You're the one that's made my life worthwhile at times and I'm so thankful that I've got you with me. You're my rock and my best friend and the love of my life and I could never ask for anyone better. You've taught me things that I never knew and shown me how to be a better person."

Her eyes became watery as I spoke. "You're all that to me too, Ponyboy."

I smiled and kept talking. "After Mom and Dad died, I didn't know how long I could go on even with the gang, but then I met you. I fell in love wth you the moment I saw you and haven't stopped since. When Johnny and Dally died, I was ready to give up then and there, but you saved me and helped me live my life again and I'm so grateful for that. These past three years've been some of the hardest of my entire life, but also some of the best because of you."

As I spoke, she smiled and nodded along with my words. When she started to cry, I moved one of my hands out of hers and wiped the corner of her eye where there was a mascara-filled tear ready to drop down her face.

"I know we're both young and not even outta high school yet, but I've wanted t'do this for a long time and I can't wait any longer", I continued, getting choked up myself as I knelt down on one knee and pulled the box with Mom's engagement ring out of my pocket. "I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep next to you every night. I want to start a family with you and love you for as long as I'm alive. So, Lily Grace Smith, will you marry me?"

She started to sob and immediately answered. "Yes! Yes, Ponyboy, yes!"

I stood back up with a smile that was so big that it hurt my face (even though it wasn't like I cared) and spun her around. She squeezed me around my neck and laughed as she cried.

When I put her back down, I leaned down and kissed her with as much love as I could.

"I love you so much, Lily", I said against her lips.

"I love you so much, Ponyboy", she murmured as she gave me another kiss. "And I always will."

I took her left hand and replaced the promise ring that I had given her one our first anniversary with the engagement ring. It looked like it belonged on her finger.

"Ponyboy, this is beautiful", she muttered.

"It was Mom's", I told her, tears coming to my eyes at the thought of her. "She told me that she'd give it to me when I met the right girl and after her and Dad died, it was given to me. You're the right girl, the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with, so it's yours now."

She started crying all over again, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheek.

After a little while, we went over to the truck and lay in the back, looking up at the stars. They were much more visible in the country than in Tulsa and the inky sky was filled with them.

"I forgot how many stars you can see out there", I almost whispered, pulling my fiancée closer.

"There's so many of them", she muttered.

"Yeah."

"I wish I knew more constellations. If I did, I could recognize all of 'em out here."

"Well, you've already got me beat. I only know one."

"And which one's that?"

"The Big Dipper. Everyone knows that one, though."

"One's better than nothing", she said, turning her head to look up at me with a smile. I couldn't help but do the same.

"I guess that's true."

"Ponyboy", she suddenly gasped.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna be Lily Curtis. We're gonna be married. You're gonna be my husband."

I laughed. "Yep. And you're gonna be my wife." That already sounded right on my tongue, calling her my wife.

"I like the sound of that. Me being your wife. You being my husband. Being married."

"I like it too. I can't wait to call you Mrs. Curtis", I smiled and kissed her temple.

"Lily Grace Curtis", she murmured. "I love it."

"So do I."

XxXxXxXxXx

We left the countryside soon after and went back to my house, getting back at about 11:30.

"Where's Darry?" Lily asked when she walked into the house.

"He's staying the night and morning at Ruth's house", I told her as I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, putting my head into her neck.

"When was the last time we were alone together in your house for a night?"

"I don't think we ever have been. That's why I asked Darry if he could go somewhere", I said sheepishly. My face was becoming warm.

She turned and put her arms around my neck. "You planned this?"

"We don't really get t'be alone together and I thought now'd be a good time for it, with the proposal and all."

"You're sweet" she smiled, the edges of her eyes crinkling, before standing up on her toes and kissing my nose. "The sweetest guy I could ever hope for."

"And you are the sweetest girl I could ask for", I told her, following each word with a kiss.

She laughed into them and quickly went into hysterics when I started to tickle her sides.

"Stop! Pony, stop! You're gonna make me cry!" she exclaimed.

I decided to wait a little while longer before stopping, listening to her deep breaths mixed with giggles when I did. These caused me to start laughing too.

Just as she stood up straight again, I picked her up bridal style and brought her into my room, putting her carefully on the bed.

She untied and kicked off her Converse, took off her sweater, and plucked the flower out of her hair. As she studied it, I did the same to her.

Her dress dipped down slightly at her chest and had thin straps that showed off her freckled shoulders and thin arms and shoulders.

"I like the freckles on your shoulders", I spoke without really meaning to while unbuttoning my flannel and slinging it across the footboard.

She laughed. "Thanks. Anything else?"

"Damn. Everything else."

A smirk pulled at her lips as she arched an eyebrow.

"I love your shoulders and your arms and your stomach and your waist and your hips…", I started, getting on the bed next to her and giving each place a kiss as I mentioned it. After I made my way down her legs, I went back up. "…and I love your neck and your chin and your cheeks and your lips and nose and eyes and forehead and hair."

"That's quite the extensive list", she laughed.

"Well, I love an extensive amount of things about you."

"What about my boobs and butt?" she asked teasingly.

My face got so hot that it felt like it had reached its boiling point. "Well, I've never seen either, but I'm sure that I love them as much as the rest of you."

Her face then turned vividly red as well. "Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Have you ever thought about…y'know…", I heard her say before she muttered whatever she said next. I had no idea what she had asked.

"Have I ever thought about what?" I asked in confusion. I moved closer other and held her hands in mine.

"Having sex", she murmured.

"Well, yeah, I've thought about it. Have you?"

"Mm-hmm", she hummed quietly in response.

"I don't really like callin' it that, though. 'Having sex' just sounds kinda meaningless and casual or something."

"What would you rather call it?" she asked with a slightly tilted head.

"If we're talkin' about you and me, I'd rather call it 'making love'. It sounds more personal and like we really love each other, which we do", I admitted shyly.

"I think I like it better too."

"Why do you ask?" I asked. "Do you wanna…y'know…?"

"Kinda", she said with a blush. Her eyes averted down to her and I's hands. "I mean, I love you more than anything and I feel like we're ready."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna do anything until you're ready." To get her to look back at my face, I lifted up her chin.

"Yeah", she nodded. "I know I'm ready. There's no one I would rather do it with."

"You're sure you don't feel pressured?"

"Positive."

"I don't know what I'm doing", I warned.

She laughed lightly. "Neither do I. But we can figure it out together."

Something was still making me concerned. "But what if I hurt you? I heard it hurts for the girls."

"I'll be fine. If anything hurts, I'll make sure to tell you, okay?" she said with a smile, cupping my face.

"You wanna lie down?"

"Sure."

I lay her down on the bed and held myself over her on my elbows.

"What do we do now?" she whispered.

"I think kissing's a good place to start", I said and did just that. Her arms went around my neck as she kissed back. I started kissing her neck, leaving a hickey where I had years before.

"Did you leave a hickey again?" she asked with a smirk.

"Maybe…."

"You're such an ass", she laughed.

"Love you too, baby."

Then she leaned her head up towards me and started kissing my neck, shocking me too much to react.

"You happy now?" I asked once she had pulled away.

"Very."

As we continued kissing, my hands went down from her waist to her hips, then to her legs at the end of her dress without me really realizing.

When I realized where my hand was, I started to pull it away, but she took it and put it back on her leg.

"It's okay", she murmured. "You can put your hand there."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I nodded and felt the skin just under the edge of her dress before moving my hand up a little further. Suddenly, I felt a familiar kind of interruption in her smooth skin: scarring. My hand stopped again.

Lily pulled away and looked up at me. "What's wrong?"

"There're scars on your leg", I said. "Are you okay? Did Angela do anything that I didn't know about?"

"Love, I'm fine", she said reassuringly. "They're just stretch-marks."

"What?" I asked as I touched the scars as gently as possible in case they hurt her.

"When I was growing, I grew too fast for my skin to keep up, so it tore and made scars. They're called stretch-marks", she explained.

"So it's okay? You're not hurt?"

She laughed that laugh that I would gladly hear forever. "No, I'm not hurt, honey. It's sweet that you're worried, though."

I hesitated for a moment before asking if we had reached the point where we would start taking our clothes off.

"I think so…", she trailed off, "but do we take our own off or each other's?"

"I'm not sure", I told her, before starting to laugh. The situation was just so awkward and we were both so oblivious that it was impossible not to.

"What's so funny?" she asked between laughs of her own.

"We're just so awkward", I wheezed.

"You're such a goofball. And I love you for it."

"I love you too", I told her.

"Now let's get this sorted out", she said decidedly, "-we can take each other's off and see how it goes. If all else fails, we resort to plan B. Capiche?"

"Got it", I laughed, "But who's gonna go first?"

"You can take something off me if you want to", she offered with a blush.

"If you're sure."

"Yeah, I am."

I felt along her back, searching relentlessly for a zipper or buttons- anything really- but couldn't find anything. I had secretly been hoping to be this suave Clark Gable-esque guy who could figure everything out with no problem the first time that the girl that I loved and I were together, but that wasn't how it was going at all.

"Okay, where is it?" I finally asked in defeat.

"On my side", she giggled, leading my hand to her side, where lo and behold, there was a zipper.

"Oh." I felt really stupid and almost wanted to crawl into the corner.

"Don't worry about it, honey", she comforted. "It's in a weird place."

I kissed her nose in thanks and slid down the zipper, my hand shaking the entire time, before taking the straps off of her shoulders and taking it off of her.

"Where do you want me to put it?"

"The floor's okay."

I nodded and put the dress on the floor, turning back to look at her. My jaw almost fell on the floor, but I felt like me gawking at her wouldn't be the most appreciated response. My fiancée was lying there in only a lacy bra and underwear and I had never seen anyone or anything more beautiful in my life.

I stared at her for a while, studying how the curve of her chest led to her ribs and the curve of her small waist, which went into her wider hips, then down her legs. Sure, when I had seen her in her bathing suit, it had only been about the amount of fabric on her in this moment, but this was different somehow. She was more beautiful than any model or actress or girl in one of those Playboy magazines that Steve had given me for my sixteenth birthday (I hadn't looked through them, but there were girls on the covers).

"Can I…?" I trailed off, hoping she would get what I meant as my eyes went back and forth from her face to her chest.

She nodded and I lightly felt the skin just above her bra, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. It was as smooth and pale as porcelain.

"Do you wanna take off my shirt or pants or something?" I asked.

"Sure." Her face turned red and I felt her hands quaking as she undid my belt and took off my shirt and jeans. In an attempt to calm her down, I took her hands in mine and kissed her knuckles. "You okay?"

She laughed breathily. "Yeah. Just kinda nervous."

"So am I, but it's just you and me here. Nobody else but us."

She smiled a little and gave my hands a slight squeeze before bringing them to my back. Her eyes searched my face intently and mine did the same to her.

The moonlight that shone through the window brought out the little gold specs in her irises and her closeness to me let me see a small cluster of freckles that was scattered around the bridge of her nose, which wouldn't have been visible otherwise. Her lips had lost the shade of pink that had been made by her lipstick and returned to their natural color, if not a little darker because of us kissing. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyelashes were coated in a thin layer of black mascara.

I knew that I couldn't live without her. Her smile. Her laugh. Her voice. Her kindness. Her _everything_.

She complained about her eye color all the time, saying that it was the most boring and bland color that there was, but I couldn't have disagreed more. They reminded me of the coffee that Mom, Dad, and then Darry brewed in the morning. The bark of the trees in the park whose leaves turned a bright green in the spring and orange and red in the fall. The bars of chocolate that Soda. Steve, and I would "steal" from the DX on our breaks, breaking off pieces and sharing them with each other. The varnished wood of Mom's vanity. The Carolina wrens that hopped around our yard and flew from tree to tree for most of the year. They just gave you a feeling of warmth that made you feel like you were being wrapped in a thick blanket on a cold day. They made you feel protected and loved and safe and you couldn't help but trust them.

I saw the smiles and laughs that she gave me whenever I did or said something she found funny, and the ones she gave when someone did something kind for her. The indignant expression that she wore while doing schoolwork (usually math), which caused her brow to crease and lips to purse. The look of tranquility she wore whenever she was immersed in a book or movie. The arched eyebrow and smirk reminiscent of Two-Bit Mathews that she did when feeling mischievous or was teasing someone.

And then there were the looks that only I saw. The pain in her face when Johnny and Dally died. The agonized expression that she had after Roger had tried to rape her and Angela had shattered to her pieces. The smiles reserved only for me that she gave me when I kissed her or held her hand. The expressions of love and total adoration that she looked at me with, which I could only hope I reciprocated.

She opened her mouth, then closed it before opening it again and speaking. "Would it be weird…would it be weird if I said…", she trailed off and her face flushed red for probably the millionth time that night.

"If you said what?" I asked as I pushed a stray lock of hair that had been lying across her forehead behind her ear. "You can tell me anything."

"…if I said you're perfect", she muttered.

It was my turn to start blushing. I laughed a little and kissed her forehead. "No, it's not weird, it's really sweet. And thank you, but I have to say that you're a million times more perfect than anyone, especially me."

"Thank you."

I rubbed her hipbone with my thumb for a moment, trying to work up the courage to say what I wanted, and then shifting it to her waist. "D'you want me to take off your bra?"

"If you want to."

Soon enough, I figured out how to get it off and then neither of us had anything on. I pulled a blanket over us, even though we were the only ones home.

"You're so incredibly beautiful and amazing and I love you so much", I told her, touching her cheek.

Tears welled up in her eyes and a few escaped down her cheeks. "I love you too. I love you so much."

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" I asked with a small smile while wiping her tears.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm positive."

"Okay", I agreed nervously and kissed her. "Just tell me if it hurts. If it does, I'll stop." It was one of my worst fears: hurting her.

She kissed me this time. "I love you, Ponyboy."

"I love you, Lily. And I always will."

It was obvious that she was uncomfortable and even in a little pain during it, but she didn't show it and seemed happy that we had done it when it was over. I certainly was.

We lay underneath the blankets and looked at each other. Her eyes were starting to close for longer and longer periods of time.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked as I played with her hair. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"I'm just perfect", she laughed breathily. "I couldn't be better."

"Good", I smiled in relief, kissing her forehead. "You tired, darlin'?"

She nodded as she nuzzled into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, rubbing her back. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"I love you, Ponyboy", she murmured as she fell asleep.

I kissed the crown of her head, smelling the scent of her perfume, along with the grass and flowers from the country. "I love you too, Mrs. Curtis. And I always will.'

XxXxXxXxXx

The first thing I noticed the next morning when I woke up was a warmth under the blankets with me that I hadn't felt since Sodapop had left.

I opened my eyes and found my fiancée laying in my arms, her head buried in my chest. Her hair was strewn all around her face and the pillow, and the breaths that came through her softly parted lips were soft and steady on my skin. Her black eyelashes brushed her upper cheeks and some of her mascara had smudged under and around her eyes.

When I realized that neither of us were wearing clothes, my face became hot, though I smiled at the remembrance of what had happened the night before. Mom's ring, which now rested on her left ring finger, glimmered in the light streaming through the window, which, along with the clock on the bedside table, told me that it was about mid-morning. The sunlight made her look like she was glowing and turned her hair a golden brown.

I smiled a little and pressed a kiss to her forehead, being careful not to wake her as I got out of bed and slipped on my boxers before walking into the kitchen.

I rubbed my eyes while taking the carton of eggs out of the refrigerator, cracking them into a bowl with milk, and putting the mixture onto the stove in a pan. I thought that I remembered Lily telling me that she liked her eggs scrambled at some point, and hoped I was right.

My main concern apart from cooking breakfast was not waking her up. She looked so peaceful and calm in her sleep and I wanted to let her remain that way. Besides, I knew how much she enjoyed her sleep, especially since she didn't get as much of it as she probably should have. Between school, homework, her jobs working at the bookstore and teaching the younger girls at her dance school, and her own dance classes, she usually only got six or less hours of sleep per night. Any chance she got for more, she savored.

As I finished up breakfast, the eggs and the toast that I had decided to add, there was a slight sound of rustling from the other room that I assumed was my fiancée waking up. Hoping to catch her before she actually got up, I put the plates of food, cups of juice, and silverware on a tray and carried it into the room.

Just as I had thought, she was awake, though barely, and was buried under the blanket. Her dark eyes followed me as I came through the door and towards the bed, putting down the food near the end.

"Good morning, darlin'", I said, not able to keep the slight smiled off of my face as I got under the covers with her. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good", she answered in her slightly raspy morning-voice. "You?"

"Wonderfully. I made breakfast."

"You didn't have to do that. You could've woken me up."

"You looked too peaceful to wake up, so I let you sleep", I told her before sitting up and bringing over the food. "You like your eggs scrambled, right?"

She laughed lightly from her identical sitting position and gave me a kiss. "Yeah. Thank you, honey."

"You're welcome."

We talked a little as we ate, but mostly just enjoyed the quiet that came with us being alone together. It happened so rarely that we had learned to take advantage of every opportunity that came along, even the ones that only lasted a minute or two.

Afterwards, she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"How're you feelin'?" I asked.

"Great. What about you?" she smiled.

"Never been better, Mrs. Curtis", I said as a smile grew on my face.

"I'm not officially Mrs. Curtis yet", she reminded me with a laugh.

"Well, I'm gonna keep callin' you that until you are and then after that."

"I'm not complainin'."

"Neither am I. I'm so happy that we'll get to spend the rest of our lives together", I told her, immediately feeling embarrassed at how sappy it sounded.

"I can't wait t'be able to wake up next to you everyday", she responded.

"Well, there'll be a point where our kids'll be the ones wakin' us up."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss my nose. "And I can't wait until then too."

"Ditto", I told her before kissing her forehead. "I love you so much, darlin'."

"I love you too, honey", she smiled. "And I always will."

 **OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I** _ **never**_ **meant to keep you all waiting for almost two months and I'm so sorry that I did. I had tons of school work that I had to do, so that kept me more than busy. I did, however, start a "Stranger Things" story, which will hopefully be published at some point soon (fingers crossed), along with another chapter of this one (once again, fingers crossed). I hope all of you had a great Valentine's Day and/or any other holidays that you celebrate. I'll try and update as soon as I can. All music credits go to their respective owners. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13**


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